Minimally invasive spider vein treatment for cosmetic and medical spider veins is accessible to everyone, thanks to the skilled and steady hands of Dr. D!
Foam Sclerotherapy is the #1 Spider Vein Treatment
The gold standard and most effective spider vein treatment is foam sclerotherapy. At Vein Clinic LA, Dr. D is an expert at sclerotherapy procedures which involves injecting a safe FDA approved chemical solution directly into the veins. The damaged vessels collapse, reabsorb into the body and the results are immediate! Sclerotherapy for spider vein removal should be combined with varicose vein treatment for a full treatment plan and vein care protocol.
Sclerotherapy is a foam solution or medical mixture of a liquid sclerosant (like polidocanol or sodium tetradecyl sulfate) and a gas (air or oxygen) that is then whipped together by the doctor to create a foamy and frothy-like consistency. This is a medical grade foam used by experienced physicians like Dr. D to treat spider veins. The foam solution is injected into each individual spider vein. The doctor uses a surgical light to view each vein in the leg and then he injects directly into the “feeder vein” that is responsible for feeding and creating the other veins. There is no anesthetic used for this procedure because it is nearly painless. Amazingly, the results are immediate! You can visually see the spider veins absorb the solution and disappear immediately. Sometimes, the smaller veins that are farther away from the feeder vein may take a few more days to fully disappear.
Sclerotherapy is a FDA Approved Procedure
The spider veins whose inner vein wells become destroyed are slowly absorbed into the body and do not cause any further damage or cosmetic issues. These veins are unnecessary and are not needed for healthy living. Your blood will instead get rerouted to healthy vessels in your legs.
Our medical team of vein experts at Vein Doctor LA highly recommend that patients undergo sclerotherapy for their spider veins, smaller varicose veins, reticular veins, cosmetic leg veins and other certain veins as recommended by Dr. D. Most patients who are healthy are candidates. This is best discussed with your doctor during a consultation, but generally patients who have good circulation and a relatively active lifestyle are candidates for sclerotherapy to treat their spider veins. If a patient is pregnant, we recommend waiting until after pregnancy and after breastfeeding.
Foam Sclerotherapy versus Liquid Sclerotherapy
Most of the time, patients are treated with a Foam Sclerotherapy. However, there are rare instances where your vein doctor may recommend moving forward with a Liquid Sclerotherapy treatment plan instead. In liquid sclerotherapy treatments, the same polidocanol or sodium tetradecyl sulfate solution is used, but it is not mixed with gas (air or oxygen). The solution stays more liquid and is better for extremely fine, small veins. For medium to larger spider veins, the foam sclerotherapy is still the gold standard.
Before, During and After
Sclerotherapy Treatments
Sclerotherapy Results, Recovery and Risks
Results
Sclerotherapy treatments performed by a vein expert like Dr. D provides superior results, leaving patients with beautiful smooth skin on their legs. Our vein doctor will ensure that your legs are treated with the utmost precision, removing the smallest most difficult to the larger visible spider veins from your legs. Most of the veins disappear during your appointment, with the remainder fading over the course of 3 to 6 weeks.
Recovery
The recovery process is straightforward and easy for most patients. You may have minor discomforts or pain and we recommend that you ask Dr. D for specific after care instructions which may include taking over the counter pain medications.
Risks
There are very minor risks with sclerotherapy including bruising, hyperpigmentation, small ulcers (rare), allergic reactions (rare), blood clots (very rare), and or temporary swelling. These are rare but very serious side effects. If you feel that you may be experiencing any of this, please call Dr. D immediately.
FAQ about Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a highly specialized medical treatment performed by vein doctors like Dr. D to treat and remove medical and cosmetic spider veins and small varicose veins. It is an FDA approved procedure and very safe.
A foam chemical solution is injected directly into the diseased or affected blood vessels. This solution disrupts and irritates the vein wall which then causes it to scar, collapse and seal shut. The vein is visibly gone and your body naturally absorbs the closed tissue.
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment that requires no numbing or anesthesia. This means that sclerotherapy is not painful at all. Some patients may experience a very slight burning sensation or pinching, however this is very rare.
Each sclerotherapy treatment session will take anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes. The treatment may be quicker if your veins soak up the solution very fast. Every patient and case will vary.
The number of sclerotherapy treatments that you will require depends on how much solution your body absorbs and needs to remove all of the spider veins. This is up to your doctor’s discretion. Most patients can expect between 3 and 6 total sessions of sclerotherapy vein treatments.
You will see your results from sclerotherapy immediately during your treatment. Then, more results will appear over the course of 3 to 6 weeks. Results will vary from patient to patient. Please refer to our before and after pictures of examples of the sclerotherapy results you can expect!
