Spider veins can appear on the face or other areas of the body, but are most often found on the thighs and calves of the legs, especially in women. Women that have spider veins often feel self-conscious or consider the veins unsightly or unattractive.
Spider veins or telangiectasias are small broken blood vessels that are red or purple in appearance and visible because they are close to the skin's surface.
What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a safe and common procedure for the removal of spider veins related to:
- Age
- Heredity factors
- Hormonal changes
- Lack of movement
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
Sclerotherapy involves inserting a very fine needle into the vein that causes the vessel to collapse and gradually be absorbed. Blood is ultimately redirected to deeper veins below the skin's surface.
As experts in sclerotherapy procedures, Penn dermatologists use proper injection techniques which require experience and sound medical judgment to achieve optimal results.
Penn Dermatology requires that female patients verify that they are not pregnant before undergoing sclerotherapy. An imaging study of the venous flow may be necessary, depending on the distribution of the blood vessels.
What to Expect
Most patient experience minimal discomfort and there is no "down time" or recovery period with this procedure. Patients can resume normal activities almost immediately.
Some swelling, soreness or bruising may occur, which can result in temporary discoloration of the skin. In addition, patients receive instructions from the dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon about wearing compression or support hosiery for a period of time after the treatment to keep pressure on the treated vessels.
Multiple or follow up maintenance sessions are usually required for the best aesthetic results.