Sclerotherapy
The gold standard for spider and leg veins is sclerotherapy, not laser. Sclerotherapy is an effective procedure where a solution is injected into the vein and causes the vein to close and disappear.
What is sclerotherapy?
Using a tiny needle, a sclerosing solution called Asclera is injected into your spider veins, causing them to collapse and eventually fade within several weeks. Patients describe the sensation as mild stinging and cramping but the discomfort is generally well tolerated. Mild temporary bruising may occur after the treatments. A rare side effect is hyperpigmentation, which usually resolves eventually over months.
What is the downtime with sclerotherapy?
Compression stockings need to be worn 24 hours a day for 1 week after your treatment. Otherwise, patients can resume normal activity immediately after the treatment. We recommend sclerotherapy perfomed in the fall or winter.
When do I see results?
Although improvement may be seen within days of treatment, maximal results are seen 2 months after treatment.
How many treatments will I need?
Although improvements are seen even after the first treatment, most patients will require 3 treatments, spaced 6 weeks apart. Some patients with a large number of spider veins may require even more treatments.
