Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure used to eliminate thread veins and spider veins. Sclerotherapy involves an injection of a solution (generally a salt solution) directly into the vein. The solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel, causing it to collapse and stick together and the blood to clot.

Sclerotherapy effectively treats thread and spider veins. It’s often considered the treatment of choice for these types of veins.

What is the recovery time for sclerotherapy? Sclerotherapy patients can return to their regular daily activities as soon as the procedure is complete. If pain is present, it usually fades within just a few days. Mild bruising may occur and will heal completely in one to two weeks.

In the days after your treatment, you’ll see the dark tones of the vein begin fading. This is a gradual process over several weeks or months, depending on the severity of the vein build up. Progress will start immediately after the injection and work slowly until your next treatment, with each injection kick-starting the healing process.

Optimal results will happen after two to four treatments, with most patients achieving over 80% elimination of the targeted spider or varicose veins.

Twenty to forty percent of patients see significant results after one treatment, with sixty to eighty percent seeing near-complete results after a series of treatments. Some veins that have been hardened for a long time may require additional treatments.

For large webs of spider veins or thicker thread veins, laser treatments or a combination of both treatments have shown good results.

The results of the treatment are permanent, with the veins being destroyed and absorbed back into the body. These veins won’t darken or return, but the treatment won’t stop new veins from growing. Your doctor can advise you on personal health steps to reduce the risk of varicose and spider veins, and the treatment can be repeated as needed to target new veins before they get bigger.

Sclerotherapy usually produces some temporary discomfort. Patients should be aware that the procedure requires a needle, which may prompt anxiety in some people. Although the majority of patients do feel mild pain and bruising near the injection site, this fades within just a few days.

Our doctor will likely schedule a follow-up visit about a month after the procedure to determine how well the procedure worked and if you need more sessions. Generally, you need to wait about six weeks before undergoing another sclerotherapy session.

This varies depending on the size of the veins and the extent of spider vein spreads. Most clients take two to four treatment sessions to get to near-complete results. While complete elimination of the veins is not guaranteed, most clients will see significant improvement in the weeks after the first treatment. Sessions should be scheduled several weeks to a month apart to let the treatment work and ensure full healing before another injection.