Sclerotherapy Overview

If you have unsightly leg veins that you would like to eliminate, then sclerotherapy may offer a fast and relatively easy solution. As with other non-surgical cosmetic procedures, vein treatments can help improve aesthetic concerns with virtually no downtime.

What are Spider Veins?

Spider veins are extremely thin veins. Unlike varicose veins, which are darker in color and larger, spider veins are not needed by the body for any reason. Spider veins may occur due to a number of reasons, such as sitting or standing for prolonged periods, pregnancy, gaining weight, hormone changes, and even some types of medications.

Spider veins are all very near to the surface of your skin. Although spider veins are not serious, they are unsightly and can cause you discomfort such as burning, itching, stinging, aching and swelling. None of those things are pleasant, and can certainly interfere with your life. It should be noted that the treatment for spider veins is completely different than treatment for more serious varicose veins.

Candidates for Spider Vein Treatment

In general, patients in generally good health make good candidates for spider vein treatment. Patients must be able to fully comply with aftercare. You will not be able to have spider vein treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a blood borne disease, have a cardiac condition or disease, have an infectious disease, are diabetic, or have hypertension.

Sclerotherapy Procedure

Spider vein treatment is normally performed in an outpatient surgical facility. Sclerotherapy doesn’t require anesthesia. Most people do not experience any pain, although there may be mild discomfort. The procedure is performed using a very fine needle, which injects a solution that collapses the vein. The vein is no longer visible, with the added benefit that any discomfort caused by the spider veins is removed. Risks are minimal and include blood clots, infection, discoloration, allergic reaction, and scarring. These complications are very rare, and sclerotherapy is considered a safe cosmetic procedure.

For more information on non-surgical treatments such as sclerotherapy, contact our Chicago, Illinois cosmetic surgery center.