Everything You Want to (and Should) Know About Sclerotherapy for Spider Veins
Read time: 13 minutes
Jump ahead to:
- The culprits behind spider veins
- Move aside vein stripping. Sclerotherapy is here to stay
- What to expect during a sclerotherapy spider vein treatment at AesthetiCare
- What happens during your sclerotherapy treatment
Why hide out in pants and long dresses when you can get rid of those spider veins for good? Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive aesthetic procedure which destroys unwanted veins, giving you skin you’d want to show off 24/7.
However, before you get any kind of sclerotherapy spider vein treatment, it’s important that you understand the condition, how sclerotherapy works, and what it can do for you. As local leg vein treatment providers in Kansas City, our team at AesthetiCare use sclerotherapy injections to help our clients love their skin again.
To learn more about sclerotherapy for spider veins, keep reading for our in-depth guide on what you should know.
What are spider veins?
Spider veins are tiny, web-like veins that twist just beneath the surface. They are usually red, blue, or purple in color and can be concentrated in one area or spread throughout the entire leg (you can also have them on your face too).
One thing to keep in mind is that spider veins are not usually a medical concern; they’re moreso physically unappealing to those who have them. But in some cases, they can cause other symptoms such as swelling, itching, and burning, which can make having veins even worse.
The culprits behind spider veins
If you want to point fingers at something, you can blame weak and damaged valves for the appearance of spider veins.
Veins are in charge of carrying blood back up to your heart (not to be confused with arteries that transport blood from your heart to your body). As the law of gravity says: what goes up, must come down—but you don’t want blood without oxygen going back down. That’s where valves come in.
Muscle contractions act as pumps to push blood to your heart. As blood in your veins fights against gravity, valves open to let it in, then close to stop it from coming back down.
Here’s the catch: if you have weak or damaged valves, blood can flow backward and pool inside the vein—the added pressure of which causes the vein to twist and stretch. And do you know what that leads to? You guessed it—spider veins.
So where do weak or damaged valves come from?
That question is a little hard to answer. There’s no one true answer for where weak and damaged valves come from because it depends on a variety of factors, such as:
Genetics: We hate to say it, but if you have close family members with spider veins, you’re more likely to get them too.
Age: There’s a reason why you rarely see younger people with leg veins, and that’s because they tend to emerge as you age.
Gender: Due to various hormonal changes such as pregnancy, menopause, and oral contraceptives, women are more likely to have visible veins than men.
Obesity: People who are obese puts more pressure on their veins, making them more suceptible to spider veins.
Fortunately, sclerotherapy for spider veins can help smooth out your skin and even your complexion regardless of how your veins emerged.
Move aside vein stripping, sclerotherapy is here to stay
If your parents or even grandparents suffered from spider veins, they might’ve gotten a vein stripping procedure. Starting at the groin, doctors would insert metal rods through the vein then screw on a cap at the end. Afterwards, doctors would pull the rod back out, therefore “stripping the vein.”
Thank goodness there is another (safer and better) option for unwanted veins. Sclerotherapy is historically the most effective spider vein treatment that has been around for decades. Using an FDA-approved solution called “sclerosing agents,” sclerotherapy irritates the veins and causes them to swell. The result? Vein walls stick together, shut, then turn into scar tissue, which the body then reabsorbs.
Here’s how sclerotherapy works…
Sclerotherapy safely expands and destroys spider veins, visible blood vessels, small capillaries, and larger reticular veins. Since the needles are so small and precise, this treatment eliminates veins without harming the surrounding tissue. Plus, it’s a great option for those who don’t have the time to deal with surgery or even want to go through a surgical procedure.
During your session, your provider will inject the sclerotherapy solution directly into your veins, targeting them one-by-one for the best results. You may feel a slight prick, but you won’t need a local anesthetic to remain comfortable.
Scleropathy can collapse veins in varies areas, including:
- Thighs
- Calves
- Ankles
- Feet
- Face
- And more
Most people will notice their veins disappear over the following six weeks to six months. However, more prominent veins may take longer and/or require multiple treatments.
What to expect during a sclerotherapy spider vein treatment at AesthetiCare
Our sclerotherapy treatments give great results without downtime. For you workaholics out there (or if you simply can’t take off work), this minimally invasive spider vein treatment may be the perfect solution for you.
What you should do before your sclerotherapy treatment
First, come in for a consultation! We want to be fully aware of your goals before we get started. This also gives us the chance to get to know you on a personal level so you feel at home whenever you step into our Leawood office. We’ll also evaluate your medical history, examine your leg veins, and discuss any concerns you may have. Then we can make recommendations how many sessions you may need or any complementary procedures that could boost your results.
Before the day of your appointment, it’s super important to follow your pre-treatment instructions. This will maximize the effectiveness of your sclerotherapy injections.
Generally, we ask that you:
- Avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications like Advil, ibuprofen, or aspirin for at least a week. This includes blood-thinning supplements like Vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, and fish oil.
- Bring or wear comfortable shorts to wear during the treatment and loose-fitting pants to wear home.
- Make sure you have compression stockings for use after your procedure. Your AesthetiCare specialist will provide you with a recommendation for size and pressure.
What happens during your sclerotherapy treatment
On the day of your appointment, we will make sure you are comfortably lying down before beginning the injections. First, we will cleanse the treatment areas. Then, we will use a thin needle to deliver the solution into the appropriate veins. The number of injections you’ll need depends on the number and size of veins we’re treating.
After 15 to 60 minutes of injections (varies from client to client), your AesthetiCare nurse will then apply pressure to the area to keep blood from refilling in the vein as it collapses.
What to expect after your sclerotherapy treatment
After your sclerotherapy treatment is complete, you’re good to go about the rest of your day. You won’t have to worry about staying home or recovery time. You will, however, need to follow our post-treatment instructions. Just these few easy steps will ensure you get the best results possible:
- Wear a compression garment continuously for 3 to 7 days
- Avoid contact sports, strenuous cardio workouts, or use of leg weights for at least 10 days
- Avoid hot tubs, saunas, warm baths, and sun exposure for at least three days
Learn more about sclerotherapy aftercare. →
While you may not notice any lingering discomfort, you will experience slightly swollen and raised spider veins. But don’t worry, that’s a good thing! It means the solution is doing its job. In 2 to 3 weeks, the veins will begin fading and continuing improving until they disappear entirely after six weeks to six months.
Sclerotherapy frequently asked questions
At AesthetiCare, we never want our clients to feel like they’re in the dark. That’s why if you get sclerotherapy for spider veins at our office, we’ll answer all of your questions before the process starts. If you’re not sure what to ask, here are some questions we hear most often.
How do I know whether or not sclerotherapy is right for me?
You’ll never know whether or not sclerotherapy is right for you unless you schedule a free consultation. That’s because only an experienced specialist can determine your candidacy for the treatment. You never want to simply guess, especially if you have blood clotting issues or have given birth/been pregnant within the past three months.
How many treatments will I need?
We wish we could tell you here and now how many treatments you’ll need, but the number of treatments widely varies from person to person. If we simply said, “you will need X amount of treatments,” you wouldn’t be getting a customized plan.
We can say that most patients achieve optimal results after just 4 to 5 treatments. The number of treatments depends on how you react to the solution and the size of your veins.
How long does it take to see results of sclerotherapy for spider veins?
How long it takes to see results will vary from person to person. But keep in mind you won’t notice the results right away. The majority of spider veins will start fading after 2 to 3 weeks. However, in most cases, it can take six weeks up until six months for the veins to fully disappear.
Will my spider veins ever come back?
No, the current spider veins you have will not come back. You should note that sclerotherapy doesn’t stop new veins from showing up; it can only remove existing ones. Ways you can prevent spider veins include:
- Exercising regularly
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Wearing compression hose
- Eating a high-fiber low-sodium diet
- Changing your sitting/standing position regularly (Ever heard the rule to never cross your legs on a plane? This is why.)
We also recommend getting maintenance treatments once or twice a year to get rid of new spider veins that form.
Get the best sclerotherapy for spider veins at AesthetiCare
At AesthetiCare, our sclerotherapy treatments go beyond our expertise. Our entire staff is dedicated to helping every single client look and feel their best every day.
Our services are more than skin deep. The relationships we build with every single client helps us understand their needs to better serve them; not to mention, we love meeting new people and hearing their stories!
Contact us or use our virtual consultation tool to tell us about your needs and schedule a free one-hour consultation.
