The appearance of unsightly veins on the surface of your skin can be removed with sclerotherapy.
There are two common types of veins that we treat with this procedure:
- Spider veins: the tiny clusters of red/purple veins often found on the calves, legs, face, or elsewhere.
- Varicose veins: dark, enlarged veins that often appear on the legs.
What Causes Veins to Appear?
The causes of visible veins may be related to factors such as weight gain, pregnancy, stress, or a sedentary lifestyle. Another (more rare) cause may be venous reflux disease, which may necessitate a different treatment. To prevent veins from arising, you may want to lose weight, avoid sitting or standing for long periods, and try to elevate your legs when appropriate.
The Sclerotherapy Procedure
Treating unwanted veins is a fairly straightforward process and only requires about 30-40 minutes. Using a fine needle, we inject a solution called a sclerosant into the vein, which causes it to gradually close. The vein is then replaced by scar tissue, which cannot be easily seen on the skin surface. Sometimes sclerotherapy is used in conjunction with laser vein treatment.
After Sclerotherapy
After sclerotherapy, your legs may be wrapped in a flexible dressing for the remainder of the day. You may be advised to get some light exercise and wear compression stockings to reduce the likelihood of vein recurrence. Some patients will need multiple treatments to get a satisfactory result.
Possible sclerotherapy complications include bruising, swelling, or minor skin ulcerations.
For more information on the risks, benefits, or cost of sclerotherapy contact the Little Rock office of Dr. Branman.
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