Home » Sclerotherapy – Leg Vein Treatment
Advanced Skin Therapy of Smokey Point offers sclerotherapy as a remarkably effective treatment for small spider veins in your legs.
Spider veins are usually hereditary and not a health concern. Weak vein walls or valves cause blood to backflow and accumulate, giving the veins the appearance of a spider’s web.
Sclerotherapy entails injecting a solution directly into a vein, causing it to collapse and be reabsorbed. Circulation is rerouted through surrounding veins and the treated veins disappear within a few weeks to a month.
If you’re wondering, “Where can I find sclerotherapy near me?” look no further – our medical aestheticians offer expert evaluation and treatments.
You’re a suitable candidate for Advanced Skin Therapy’s sclerotherapy if:
Contraindications for sclerotherapy include:
Here is some important information about vein disease and vein treatment:
As with all cosmetic procedures, with sclerotherapy, the goal is improvement and not perfection.
Varicose veins are not treated. You may wish to seek further assessment from a vascular physician.
Vein disease is inherited. Although results of treatment are often dramatic, as with all cosmetic procedures, with sclerotherapy we look for improvement—not perfection. If we can obtain 75% improvement in veins, we are doing very well. Improvement more than 75% of the time happens regularly and is excellent.
Results of vein treatment can vary from person to person. Some people obtain complete resolution of their vein problems, a rare person sees no improvement, and many see improvement somewhere in between. Results cannot be guaranteed, but generally speaking most people are very pleased with their treatment results.
Sclerotherapy is NOT a onetime treatment. It takes time for the body to change. Just as is takes 9 months to make a baby, it may take several months for you to see results from your treatment. This is especially true for treatment of spider veins. So be patient and allow the process to work!
Although we try and estimate the number of sessions you may need, every patient is different, and results are variable.
Vein treatment does not change your genetic makeup. Although vein treatment can help reduce how soon and how many future veins will form. Chances are, as time goes by, you likely will continue to develop new veins in the future. But having sclerotherapy treatment itself does NOT cause new veins to develop.
Everyone wants to know how many treatments will be required. It is important to remember that people respond to vein treatment differently and that vein treatment must be performed in a very precise manner. Don’t forget that, for optimal results, we must always treat feeder veins under the surface of the skin before veins visible on the surface of the skin can be successfully eradicated. Feeder veins are often green in color.
Unsightly veins visible on the surface of the skin originate from veins deep beneath the skin surface from what we call “feeder” or reticular veins. Simply treating the spider veins without treating the feeder veins is literally like putting the cart in front of the horse, so to speak. Have you ever had someone say to you” Oh, I had sclerotherapy once and it didn’t work.” Treatment of a reticular vein may actually “treat” a spider. By closing the reticular vein “feeding” a spider area, the resultant lowering of pressure and blood flow into the spider vein may cause the spider to fade on its own without being injected. We know what it takes to make your legs look and feel better. Please trust us and allow us to treat you correctly.
Here are some pre-treatment pointers to help you achieve the best possible results:
Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical procedure. A sterile sclerosing solution (sclerosant) is injected into the offending vein using a very fine, thin needle. The sclerosing solution may be either hypertonic saline or sodium tetradecyl sulfate.
The sclerosant irritates the vein lining, causing a controlled form of scarring called fibrosis. The blocked vein can’t conduct blood and collapses. The blood flow is diverted through proximal healthier veins, improving your circulation.
Over time, a treated vein is reabsorbed into the surrounding tissue and disappears. The result is smoother, vein-free legs, and less pain and itching!
After sclerotherapy, the treated veins start fading. It takes a few weeks to over a month to see the full results.
The healing process isn’t long, but you’ll need to be careful for a while. Follow these aftercare guidelines for optimal results:
When treating diseased veins with sclerotherapy the body will try to “heal itself” if treatment (closure of the vein) is not entirely completed. This self-healing processes called “recanalization” means that veins partially treated (closed) will tend to open back up again if continued treatment is not carried out at the proper time. Naturally, then, vein recanalization is to be avoided. The result of recanalization is backsliding (regression) and loss of treatment response. To prevent recanalization, missing scheduled appointments is to be avoided.
On average, appointments for feeder veins are spaced 1-4 weeks a part.
Achy Legs, Lumps, bumps, bruises and itch!!!
There is no magic to sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy treatment is a real
medical procedure which at times can be complex. Accordingly, as with all medical procedures, it is not uncommon to experience minor side effects following a sclerotherapy treatment session.
True emergencies after sclerotherapy are extremely rare. If you think you have a true medical emergency following sclerotherapy, call 911 and/or proceed to the nearest hospital emergency room or urgency care center.
Minor irritations following sclerotherapy, however, are very common and generally are nothing to be concerned about. The most common of these are bruising, redness in the skin, lumps under the skin with or without areas of tenderness and itching. These “complications” usually require no treatment other than the wearing of the treatment stocking, taking some Tylenol, Advil type product and applying topical over the counter cortisone cream. Rarely do these minor problems lead to any lasting complications.
Compression Stockings: They’re warm. They’re tight. They can be difficult to get on. But medical studies have proven that the wearing of compression treatment stockings following all sclerotherapy treatment sessions is vital to success. Please go to a local medical supply store and ask for the highest level of compression indicated for sclerotherapy without a prescription and bring them to each appointment.
Understanding the potential risks and benefits of sclerotherapy can help you decide if it’s the best option for you.
A few days after treatment you may feel a small lump under your skin you think is a blood clot. The area may even be red and tender. Don’t worry. This is a common occurrence which is usually nothing to worry about.
Sclerotherapy is a “process” which causes changes inside the vein similar to
a “blood clot”. However, this “clot” that occurs after sclerotherapy is not really a clot at all in the true sense of the word — it is simply a small amount of blood which has become trapped within the veins that were treated by sclerotherapy. This trapped blood is NOT dangerous; it is not the same as deep vein blood clots that can cause serious problems.
These tender lumps of trapped blood, should they occur, can be treated at home by faithfully wearing your treatment stockings, by applying moist heat over the area of tenderness (such as a heating pad) and by taking ibuprofen (Advil) or Tylenol. Sometimes we evacuate these areas of trapped blood during your next treatment session.
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Sclerotherapy appointments are spaced 1–4 weeks apart, and 2–4 appointments are required. Each session costs $450 for 45 minutes. All-in-all, the average treatment is $900 to $1,800. Speak to your consultant about financing options.
Take a look at these before and after images. Our delighted clients have allowed us to display these photos to show the fantastic results they achieved with this relatively simple procedure. Contact Advanced Skin Therapy today for a consultation, and these could be your legs!
A: Avoid strenuous exercise for about 3–5 days. Don’t take hot baths or showers. Also, don’t take analgesics or anti-inflammatories, except paracetamol.
A: After treatment, you’re encouraged to walk to prevent blood clots. In most cases, you can return to work or your normal routine without many restrictions.
A: You can expect minimal side effects and significant results within weeks. Watch those annoying spider veins disappear!
A: We charge $450 for a 45-minute session.
A: You may feel mild discomfort. Most clients are surprised that it’s far less painful than they anticipated
A: As sclerotherapy is a purely cosmetic procedure, it isn’t covered. Enquire about financing options.