You may not be able to make your spider veins entirely disappear. Still, you can achieve impressive results with a minimally invasive procedure called sclerotherapy, which uses scarring properties to your advantage and includes a lightning-quick recovery time and no anesthesia.
How Sclerotherapy Reduces Spider Veins
In the hands of a skilled vascular physician, a specially created sclerosing solution is injected into tiny blood vessels, causing them to collapse, stick together, harden like a scar internally, and then be reabsorbed into the body. When reabsorbed, they disappear from view and are removed from your circulatory system. This minimally invasive process is known as sclerotherapy.
What Is the Sclerosing Solution for Spider Veins?
Not all sclerosing solutions are alike. Each doctor has their own preference of strength and composition and will adjust based on your specific condition, size, and type of veins being treated. The three most common kinds of sclerosing agents for spider veins include:
- Sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS): a sclerosing agent often used in concentrations of 0.5–3% to treat lower limb varicose veins
- Asclera: an FDA-approved prescription medication used to treat spider and reticular veins in the lower extremities.
- Glycerin: the preferred treatment for very small spider veins and broken capillaries
What Is the Sclerotherapy Process?
While every patient is different, the general process for sclerotherapy to treat spider veins is to precisely and finely inject the sclerosing solution directly into the spider veins. The solution will irritate the lining of the vein, which causes those inner walls to swell and stick together. Once that happens, blood can no longer flow to the area, so the vein collapses.
The body naturally handles it from there, turning the vein into scar tissue and then reabsorbing it, which makes it fade from view. During this time, patients can return to most activities immediately, although compression socks are often recommended for a short period to improve results.
Explore This Non-Surgical Treatment for Spider Veins in Sherman Oaks, CA
If you’re ready to find out if spider vein treatment is right for you, reach out to us at LA Vein Center in Sherman Oaks, CA. Call 818-325-0400 or contact us here to schedule an appointment.