Spider veins and varicose veins take on different appearances on the surface of your skin, which means there are probably fundamental differences between the two vascular issues. Well, yes and no.
Varicose veins and spider veins are often nothing more than cosmetic concerns, so you want to find a treatment that’s equally as minor. One of the quickest and easiest roads to blemish-free legs is a technique called sclerotherapy.
Whether you’ve already decided on sclerotherapy or you’re simply researching your treatment options for varicose veins and spider veins, Dr. Michael Kassouf and the rest of our team here at VeinMedic in New York City want to ensure that you fully understand the procedure.
Here’s a brief look at sclerotherapy and what you can expect during and after the procedure.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get rid of unsightly varicose and spider veins, sclerotherapy is one of the best frontline treatments. With sclerotherapy, we inject a substance called a sclerant into your problematic veins, causing them to shrivel up and fade away.
Before your sclerotherapy treatment, we ask that you avoid putting any lotions on your treatment areas so that they’re as clean as possible.
When you come in, we get you comfortable in one of our state-of-the-art treatment rooms and arrange your legs so that we can readily access the target veins. For your comfort, we can apply a topical anesthetic, but the injections should only feel like a small pinch.
Once we’re finished, you’re free to get on with your day, but we may recommend that you wear compression stockings to encourage good circulation. You should also avoid strenuous activity or prolonged periods of sitting for a few days after each treatment, but we do recommend some activity to keep your blood flowing.
We also recommend that you keep your legs out of the sun to avoid dark spots from forming in your treatment areas.
Your results after your sclerotherapy treatments are gradual and depend upon the size of the veins we treat. For small spider veins, you should realize results within a few weeks, but larger varicose veins may take a little more time.
You should also expect to undergo a series of sclerotherapy treatments for best results, which we discuss during your initial evaluation.
If you’re at all concerned about the effect that scleropathy may have on your circulation, there’s little to worry about. As your treated veins shrivel up, your blood reroutes itself to healthy blood vessels.
The bottom line is that sclerotherapy can offer up to a 75-90% success rate, which makes this treatment for varicose and spider veins one of the most effective available.
If you’d like to learn more about sclerotherapy, please contact one of our New York offices in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge, Manhattan's Washington Heights, Elmhurst in Queens, and Mount Hope in the Bronx.
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