Vein Treatment North Bethesda - Sclerotherapy

Do you have noticeable veins on your legs or feet? They may appear as dark colored, curvey lines or cause the skin to become raised and lumpy. These are known as both varicose veins and spider viens. Their appearance can be largely diminished through sclerotherapy treatment. Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic treatment used to reduce or eliminate the appearance of varicose and spider veins.

What causes varicose veins?

Varicose veins are veins that can be found under the skin on the legs and feet that have become widened and may appear to twist and bulge. They often appear as blue or purple colored lumpy or bulging growths just beneath the skin. Although there are a number of factors that may contribute to the onset of these varicose or spider veins in the legs, the most common include heredity, hormonal shifts, occupations or activities that require prolonged sitting or standing, and pregnancy weight fluctuation.

Varicose veins can affect anyone, but they are more commonly seen in:

- Women
- Pregnant patients
- Overweight patients
- Patients over the age of 40
- Patients that spend a lot of time standing up

What is involved in sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a minimally-invasive treatment that involves injecting a special fluid, sclerosing solution, into the affected veins using a fine needle. The solution works by irritating the lining of the veins and causing the sides of the vein to stick together so that they close and seal. This prevents blood from flowing to these veins and they begin to fade. If you have multiple spider veins, you may require multiple injections or sessions to treat all the veins.

Since sclerotherapy uses such a fine needle, anesthesia is rarely needed. When the solution is injected, you may feel some tingling or a warming sensation, but many patients don’t feel anything at all. After the injection, Dr. Faulkner will massage the area to prevent blood from re-entering the vein and you may be given compression socks or compression tape to wear post-procedure to help maintain the results.

There is no downtime from sclerotherapy, but you will be given instructions to remain somewhat active the weeks following the procedure and to avoid sitting or standing for 1-2 hours at a time. At the same time, you should avoid exessive activity including running, squating and heavy lifting. After two months, you should expect to have completely healed from the sclerotherapy treatment.

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Download American Society of Plastic Surgery Spider Vein Treatment Brochure

If you would like more information about sclerotherapy, or if you would like to schedule a consultation, please contact our office in North Bethesda, MD today.