Unsightly veins are impossible to treat at home; your only real option is to hide them. If you’re tired of hiding these veins and want to eliminate them for good, we can help. At the Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL, we offer a professional vein removal treatment called sclerotherapy that permanently removes varicose veins from the lower extremities. After completing your personalized treatment plan, you’ll enjoy uniform skin and live vein-free.
Can Sclerotherapy Be Used for Both Spider and Varicose Veins?
Sclerotherapy is a professional vein removal treatment that targets both spider and varicose veins. It injects a specialized solution directly into the vein to destroy it and then forces the body to eliminate the veins. This treatment is designed to eliminate spider veins, a milder form of varicose veins, and reticular veins, which are larger in size.
How Does the Treatment Work?
During our sclerotherapy treatments, we use Asclera, the only FDA-approved liquid polidocanol available in the United States. It’s specifically formulated to eliminate spider and reticular veins in the lower extremities. When this liquid solution is injected directly into the visible veins, it causes them to break down and seal shut. The body then responds to the treatment by reabsorbing the veins and flushing them from the system.
Treating Different Veins
Asclera has two strengths to treat spider and reticular veins: .05% and 1%. Spider veins are red or blue veins less than 1mm in diameter and are the smaller of the two types of varicose veins. They appear very close to the skin’s surface and are called spider veins because they often appear as a spiderweb pattern but may also resemble tree branches or thin lines. They’re typically more visible on the legs but can also appear in different body areas.
Reticular veins are varicose veins that are also known as feeder veins and range from 1 mm to 3 mm in diameter. They can get larger over time due to increased pressure in the veins or the vein valves. Both spider and reticular veins can exist simultaneously and be treated with sclerotherapy.
What Causes These Veins?
Both spider and reticular veins can result from many different factors, including genetics, age, hormonal changes, lifestyle, and gender. Women are more likely to develop varicose veins as a result of hormonal changes, including pregnancy and menopause. Patients who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of developing these visible veins because living life at an unhealthy weight increases the pressure on the veins, which can obstruct or limit blood flow.
Age also increases the risk of developing these veins due to normal wear and tear on the valves. Patients with a genetic predisposition to varicose veins are more likely to develop them. Lifestyle factors like working a job that requires prolonged sitting or standing can also increase the likelihood of developing these veins. Those of certain ethnicities or medical conditions are also at an increased risk.
What Happens During a Treatment?
During a sclerotherapy treatment, we will administer Asclera via a thin needle directly into the visible vein. Once injected into the area, Asclera damages the inside lining of that vein and causes blood platelets and cellular debris to adhere to the vessel lining so that it clots.
The body will eventually replace the blood-clotted vein with healthy skin tissue, eliminating it for good. Treatments typically take 15 to 45 minutes, and patients may need anywhere from one to three injections to treat the visible vein.
Is There Any Downtime?
After your treatment is over, you’ll need to wear compression stockings for a specific amount of time based on your personalized treatment plan. Wearing compression stockings will ensure adequate blood flow, quick healing, and optimal comfort. Patients who treat spider veins will need to wear compression garments for two to three days after treatment, and those who treat reticular veins need to wear compression garment stockings for five to seven days.
We also recommend that patients spend at least 15 to 20 minutes walking immediately following the treatment and that they walk regularly after treatment to promote healthy blood flow. Patients must also temporarily avoid strenuous exercise, long airplane flights, sun exposure, and hot baths or sauna or hot tub use in the days immediately following treatment.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Depending on your treatment goals and the veins you wish to treat, you may need more than one treatment session with one to two weeks between each. When you come in for your initial consultation, we will evaluate your veins and determine how many sessions you’ll need for optimal results.
When Will I See the Results?
It can take a few weeks to see results after your treatment. The body must respond to the treatment process, remove the blood vessels, and replace them with healthy tissue. Depending on your skin type and the severity of the veins you want to treat, multiple sessions may be necessary for optimal results. We can give you a better idea of what to expect after your consultation.
Am I a Good Candidate?
The best candidates for sclerotherapy treatments are patients in good health who are not pregnant or nursing and want to eliminate unsightly veins from their lower extremities. Some patients will not qualify for treatment, including those with a known allergy to polidocanol or with an acute vein or blood clotting disease.
At your initial consultation, we’ll ask you some questions about your medical history, what medications you’re taking, including non-prescription and prescription options, as well as vitamins and herbal products. Once we learn more about your treatment goals and your medical history, we can confirm that treatments with Asclera are right for you.
Experience the Benefits of Professional Vein Removal
You don’t have to live with unsightly varicose veins or try to cover them because sclerotherapy treatments with Asclera will restore beautiful, healthy, uniform skin. Contact us today at the Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL, to schedule your initial consultation and learn more about all the benefits of Asclera.
