Sclerotherapy is the gold standard for spider vein and reticular vein treatment. It is safe, done in the office setting, and will allow you to return to your normal activities quickly.
First, a clinician will clean your skin with an alcohol solution. This both rids the skin of microbes and helps to visualize the spider veins more clearly. Your clinician may also use a vein light and/or magnifier. A qualified medical provider will inject a medication – approved by the FDA for sclerotherapy- (Aslcera®) – into the problematic veins. The medication causes irritation to the inner walls of the veins which, in turn, causes the veins to seal off the blood flow. Some people will notice a visible improvement immediately, for others it can take a few weeks.
After the treatment: Following your sclerotherapy, dressings will be applied to the treatment area followed by compression. It is recommended that you wear a compression stocking for the next 5 days during the day time. The day of your treatment you should limit your activity to walking, but after the first day you can return to your regular activities.
It is important to note that it can take several (between 2 and 5 or more) treatments to achieve the desired effects. The procedure generally takes 15-30 min depending of the number, size, and difficulty of the spider veins. The procedure is not very painful at all. The needle is so small that sometimes you won’t even feel it.
