Is Sclerotherapy the Best Treatment for Spider Veins?

Is Sclerotherapy the Best Treatment for Spider Veins?

You’ve got spider veins: those creepy, crawly, squiggly red or purple lines under your skin. They’re likely on your legs, but spider veins can also appear on your chest and face. 

Our board-certified radiologists with REDI Diagnostics Corp in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, are the experts to see for the most advanced care of your spider veins. Treatment is fast, and you’ll be pleased with the results: smooth, silky skin without those unsightly lines running up and down your legs. 

We use a proven procedure called sclerotherapy to eliminate your spider veins. This treatment has been in use for almost a century, but modern technology has enhanced the results. 

What to know before your sclerotherapy appointment

Make sure you include all nutritional supplements, herbs, and drugs you’re taking on your medical history form. They can affect your sclerotherapy results. 

You’ll receive pre- and post-procedure instructions when you’ve decided on sclerotherapy. In the days before and after your appointment, don’t shave or apply lotion to the area being treated. If weather permits, wear shorts. Stop taking any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories for a few days before your procedure. 

What happens during sclerotherapy for spider veins? 

Our caring staff thoroughly cleans the target area. Using a very small needle, your radiologist injects a solution into your problem vein. You may have minor discomfort for a minute or two, but it soon subsides. 

Your doctor may massage your treated area after the injections. If the spider vein treatment is on your legs, we give you compression stockings to put on afterward. 

The location and size of your spider veins are determining factors in how many veins your physician can treat in one appointment. The entire procedure takes no more than 30 minutes. 

Eventually, your vein will become scar tissue and disappear.

Why sclerotherapy is the gold standard for spider veins 

Sclerotherapy is known as the gold standard for the treatment of spider veins. The injections cause the lining of the treated veins to swell and close the veins. The treatment seals the veins deeper under your skin that are producing your spider veins. 

Your spider veins transform into scar tissue over time and eventually disappear. Sclerotherapy is the most cost-effective treatment for spider veins and causes the least discomfort. 

Research notes that 50-80% of treated spider veins can be eliminated at each sclerotherapy appointment. The procedure has a more than 90% success rate. You should see a change in appearance in your treated area in 3-6 weeks

After sclerotherapy 

Follow your written post-procedure instructions after sclerotherapy. Use only lukewarm or cool water on your treated area — no hot baths or hot tubs. Stay out of the sun until your doctor tells you it’s safe to get back out. 

Call our office or book an appointment online with REDI Diagnostics Corp today for expert treatment of your spider veins or any other vein problems. 

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