Sclerotherapy is a treatment for varicose and spider veins. The treatment involves an injection of a special chemical into the affected vein that causes it to swell, which stops the flow of blood. Over time, your body reroutes the flow of blood and the spider or varicose vein disappears.
Spider and varicose veins refer to the visible veins you can see under your skin. Spider veins are small and tend to be red or purple in color, while varicose veins are large and may be purple or blue in color and bulge underneath your skin.
While spider and varicose veins don’t always cause health issues, they may be a sign of a circulation issue that can affect blood flow to your lower extremities and may lead to pain or the development of nonhealing leg ulcers.
Sclerotherapy specialist at North Atlanta Vascular Clinic determines if you’re a good candidate for sclerotherapy during an evaluation. While most people seek out sclerotherapy to improve the aesthetic look of their skin, your specialist may also recommend the procedure if you’re experiencing symptoms related to your spider or varicose veins, such as:
Sclerotherapy treatment isn’t recommended for women who are nursing or pregnant.
Sclerotherapy treatment is a quick and relatively painless procedure your specialist at North Atlanta Vascular Clinic conducts at the office. During your treatment, your specialist injects a chemical solution into the affected vein. You may experience minor stinging when the needle is placed into your skin, but no pain during the injection.
The number of injections you need may depend on the size of your veins, as well as how many you want to be treated.
There’s no downtime following sclerotherapy, but your specialist may recommend you wear a support hose to assist in the healing process.
With spider veins and small varicose veins, you should start to notice an improvement in your look within three weeks. For larger varicose veins, it may take up to six months for the vein to fully disappear.
You may be most concerned with how your spider and varicose veins affect the look of your skin, but these visible veins can also affect circulation. Sclerotherapy is considered one of the safest and most effective treatments for removing spider and varicose veins and is a treatment option at North Atlanta Vascular Clinic in Suwanee/Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Cumming and Lawrenceville, GA. To learn more about sclerotherapy treatment and how it can improve the look of your legs, contact us today or book an appointment online.