What is sclerotherapy?

If you have spider veins or small varicose veins, your vein doctor may have recommended a minimally invasive procedure known as sclerotherapy. Widely considered the best treatment for spider veins, sclerotherapy involves injecting a sclerosant medicine into unhealthy spider veins. The sclerosant medicine fuses the spider veins’ walls, turning them into hardened scar tissues eventually metabolized by the body. The spider veins disappear from your skin’s surface within a few weeks.

Maryland Vein Centers is a group of state-of-the-art vein centers in Maryland specializing in cutting-edge minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatments. Our vein doctors always diagnose the root cause of spider veins, treat underlying vein disease, and then provide sclerotherapy. Our considered and comprehensive approach to spider vein treatment ensures long-lasting results — the risk of spider vein recurrence is negligible because we treat the root cause.

You can find our state-of-the-art vein center at 10215 Fernwood Rd, Suite 301, Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC, in Silver Spring. Please schedule an appointment at our state-of-the-art spider vein center in Maryland.

How does sclerotherapy remove spider veins?

To understand how sclerotherapy works, let’s take a brief look at what spider veins are. Spider veins are dense clusters of damaged blood vessels or broken capillaries on the legs. They usually appear in a web-like form underneath the skin’s surface, often resembling a network of spider webs expanding outwards. Spider veins are damaged and dilated blood vessels or broken capillaries underneath the skin.

Sclerotherapy is a time-tested procedure that involves injecting a sclerosant medicine into spider veins. Sclerosant medicines fuse and irritate the walls of spider veins, eventually turning them into hardened scar tissues. The accumulated blood in the spider veins reroutes into healthier leg veins, restoring optimal blood circulation to the heart. Meanwhile, the scar tissues are gradually absorbed by the body over several weeks, which makes them fade away from the skin’s surface.

Is sclerotherapy permanent?

Sclerotherapy is a permanent spider vein treatment. Once the unhealthy spider veins are metabolized by the body, they can’t return. But while the same spider veins can’t return, you may develop new spider veins, especially if your vein doctor hasn’t addressed the root cause of spider veins — chronic venous insufficiency.

Spider veins are usually symptomatic of chronic venous insufficiency, a dangerous circulatory disorder caused by the collapse of vein valves. In healthy veins, the valves act as one-way doors that allow blood to flow towards the heart against the force of gravity. When the vein valves are damaged, gravity forces blood to flow backward and accumulate in the leg veins, eventually leading to increased vascular dilation and spider veins.

Treating spider veins without addressing underlying vein disease is a wasted endeavor. As long as the underlying vein disease continues spreading, you will simply develop new spider veins. To minimize the risk of vein disease and spider vein recurrence, your vein doctor must diagnose and treat the root cause. You should only consult vein doctors who perform thorough venous ultrasound scans to determine if you have vein disease.

What is better: sclerotherapy or laser therapy?

Sclerotherapy is widely considered the best treatment for spider veins. Laser therapy is a non-invasive alternative to sclerotherapy, but it’s not nearly as effective. Laser therapy for spider veins is common in medical spas because it doesn’t have to be performed by vein doctors. And patients are often drawn to laser therapy because it doesn’t include injections. But laser therapy is considerably less effective than sclerotherapy.

During laser therapy, the vein doctor channels laser energy into your skin’s surface. The laser energy gradually destroys the unhealthy spider veins, making them disappear from the skin. But you need multiple laser therapy sessions spaced a few weeks apart for optimal results. Furthermore, since laser therapy isn’t always performed by reliable vein doctors, you may not realize if you have underlying vein disease, leading to a high risk of recurrence.

What are the benefits of sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive and in-office procedure. It only involves a few simple injections — no incisions or general anesthesia. You may experience a little pinch when the needle enters your skin, but the discomfort is minimal. You don’t have to worry about side effects or complications, and the procedure concludes within 30 minutes. Sclerotherapy also doesn’t involve any downtime, allowing you to resume your daily activities and work immediately.

How long does a sclerotherapy session last?

Sclerotherapy sessions usually last for 30 to 60 minutes. If you only get the sclerotherapy injections, the entire procedure may conclude within 30 minutes. But if your vein doctor also performs a thorough physical examination and venous ultrasound, you may need 60 minutes or more.

What are the side effects of sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy involves minor side effects, such as redness, tenderness, swelling, bruising, and temporary skin discoloration at the treatment sites. The spider veins will also darken and harden after the treatment for a few days or weeks, but they’ll eventually disappear completely. As such, your spider veins will seem to worsen before they get better.

Is sclerotherapy painful?

Sclerotherapy is a painless procedure. You might feel a pinch when the injections enter your skin, and there might be a mild burning or cramping sensation. But these side effects are mild and temporary.

What to do after sclerotherapy?

You can resume most of your daily activities and work after sclerotherapy, but you should avoid direct sunlight, strenuous workouts, and heavy lifting for a few days. You should also wear compression stockings for two weeks or more to minimize the risk of vein disease recurrence.