Frequently Asked Questions About Sclerotherapy

What are Spider Veins?
Dilated small blood vessels, reddish or bluish in color, which appear on the face and legs. Small vessels may be accompanied by larger, dilated varicose veins, often raised above the skin surface.

What Causes Spider Veins?
Factors responsible include family history, gender (more common in females) pregnancy, estrogen, and birth control pills, prolonged standing or sitting, tight girdles, trauma, chronic sun damage and rosacea.

How are Spider Veins Treated?
For spider veins on the face, laser therapy works well. For spider veins on the legs, sclerotherapy is widely accepted as a successful therapeutic approach.

What is Sclerotherapy?
A technique introduced in the 1930’s, sclerotherapy is an injection of a sclerosing solution with a fine needle directly into the spider veins. The lining of the vessel swells and sticks together and is gradually absorbed by the natural cleansing action of the body so it vanished from view. Depending on its size, a blood vessel may have to be injected more than once, weeks apart, but in any one session, several vessels can be treated.

How Successful is Sclerotherapy?
Fading of the spider veins is gradual. After the treatments, most clients can expect a
50 – 90 % improvement. Spider veins may recur but it is usually a new spider vein appearing near the site of treatment.

What are the side effects?
• Transient stinging pain or hive like areas at the site of injection, sometimes followed by temporary bruising.
• Brown lines or spots over treated vessels usually last a few months but occasionally longer.
• Fine red blood vessels at injection sites in about 1/3 of clients. Most vanish spontaneously or with therapy. A few may persist.
• Small painful but treatable ulcers uncommonly occur at treatment sites.
• Allergic reactions to certain sclerosing solutions are a rare possibility.

What is the overall opinion of sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a relatively safe, simple and effective method to treat the cosmetically disfiguring condition of spider veins on the legs.