Spider veins can be unsightly, and although they generally do not pose a health risk, many adults simply want them gone. No one wants to wear shorts or a dress in summer and have everyone staring at those annoying red, blue, or purple blotches on the legs. Sclerotherapy is the simplest form of spider vein treatment, and it produces excellent results.
This treatment involves the injecting of a special liquid solution directly into the vein. The solution causes irritation, and the vein walls eventually collapse and get stuck together. The blood flow is thus directed elsewhere, and the visual signs, specifically the discolorations, are gone for good.
Why Choose Sclerotherapy?
We’ll answer that question during a consultation, but suffice it to say that other treatment methods might not be suitable. If the spider vein is located very close to the skin surface, lasers used to cut off blood flow through the vessel may result in visible scarring. A spider vein located near the surface may be surgically removed, but scarring is often an unwanted side effect. Sclerotherapy involves the use of a very thin needle to inject a fluid, and aside from a bit of temporary bruising, there is no visual degradation of the skin or discoloration as a result.
Why Sclerotherapy Is So Effective
Spider veins are really strange in that they form over the course of a year or two without any connection to a particular cause. Some medical experts believe that standing for long periods of time each day can cause stress in the leg muscles and stimulate the creation of these tiny vessels.
In any event, what happens is a branching out of small veins leading from the convergence of several capillaries. These veins, although very small, can easily be targeted using a very thin hypodermic needle. One injection can affect the vessels walls for up to a half-inch or more from the injection site.
Performing the Procedure
We Asclera®, a prescription medication, to treat the veins. We inject this solution directly into the vein. Immediately, the vein wall absorbs some of the fluid. We may choose to repeat the procedure a week or two later because some of the solution gets carried away by the blood flow.
Over the next several days, the spider vein walls begin to stick together. The vein gets closed off, the blood flow is directed back to the main vein, and the tissue of the spider vein walls becomes discarded as waste material.
Most individuals experience quite satisfactory results. The purple or blue appearance is now gone. Sclerotherapy cannot protect against the spider vein forming again in the future, but it’s the surest fix for what concerns the individual at present. Learn more about this simple treatment for spider veins by visiting Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, Altamonte Springs, and Orlando. We also serve residents in Lake Nona. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!