Varicose veins and spider veins are common problems for women. They are natural for all of us, occurring regardless of your overall health, but that doesn’t mean we want to keep them around. Sclerotherapy is a safe, simple, and effective solution that leaves your skin vein-free in a little under an hour.
What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy treats visible leg veins, spider veins, and varicose veins. The treatment is non-surgical and performed on an outpatient basis, so you will be on your feet and able to go home as soon as the procedure is complete. With this treatment, you can permanently remove specific, visible veins, spider veins, and varicose veins for a natural, healthy, vein-free appearance. At PSS, we perform this treatment with a laser on small spider veins only.
Specialized formulations of a saline solution (which is essentially salt water) are injected into the visible veins. The active ingredients in the injection constrict the walls of the vein, effectively shutting them down. Over a few days, the veins collapse and dissolve, and the body naturally reabsorbs the remaining blood cells.
Sclerotherapy is recommended to those who are dissatisfied with the appearance of leg veins, spider veins, or telangiectasia on the face or body. Individuals who experience soreness, swelling or redness in the areas around their visible veins can find relief through sclerotherapy treatment.
What’s Recovery After Vein Removal Like?
Smaller vein networks can disappear as soon as they are injected, but some redness and bruising can appear. Sclerotherapy is highly effective, however some veins may require two or three treatment sessions to completely disappear.
Once the session is complete, compression garments or compression stockings must be worn at all times during the first 72 hours to assist with healing. After the first three days, the compression garments only need to be worn during the day. Wearing compression garments after treatment ensures blood does not return to the treated veins and the best results are achieved.
You should avoid vigorous exercise for the first three days, but you must walk around for 20 minutes a day to keep blood flowing.
How Long Do Results After Vein Removal Last?
Veins can take from between one to six treatments to fully resolve. There will be a follow-up assessment a week after for follow-up care. Additional treatment sessions are usually scheduled six weeks out from your initial treatment.
Results can last up to 3 years, depending on your individual body. Because veins are naturally changing in our body and come back to specific areas, results may be long lasting but are not permanent.
Are you interested in erasing veins? Call us at (415) 925-2880 to schedule your consultation today, and we’ll work directly with you to come up with a plan that meets your specific desires and needs.