Sclerotherapy Spider VeinsSpider veins are small veins that are found right beneath the skin surface. They are very fine veins connected with their larger cousins, but they are not very essential parts of the system. At some point of a woman's life, these veins suddenly take a very prominent appearance in the skin which most people find unappealing. They are usually seen on the lower legs, which can be a cause of frustration and irritation to some women who love wearing short pants. They can also appear in the face. Normally, they can be covered with stocking or creams, but sometimes they don't work anymore. When this happens, most people then turn to schlerotherapy to remove spider veins. It has recently been picking up popularity in the United States. People prefer this procedure because it is practically safe, and painless. The procedure only involves the injection of a schlerosing solution in the veins, which then causes them to fade out and disappear from view. Like any mode of surgery, not all people can use this procedure. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are some of those that cannot be subject to schlerotherapy. The schlerosing solutions, since they are injected into the nerves, can cause danger to the baby by finding their way into the mother's milk. A doctor will not treat a patient, however, until after breastfeeding is done. Fortunately, some spider veins that appear during pregnancy will most likely fade after the baby's third month. Effects of Schlerotherapy Schlerotherapy is very effective. Results are almost immediate. However, it takes more than one session of therapy in order to see the desired results. At first injection, the solution will cause the vein to take on a lighter color, thus, reducing its prominence in the skin. After schlerotherapy spider veins take on a lighter color until they totally disappear from view. The Procedure This is how a typical schlerotherapy procedure goes. It is usually done in the doctor's clinic and, since it is not a surgery, no anesthesia is required. First, you will be asked to change into shorts after which the doctor will take pictures of your legs for comparison later on and for the record. Lying down on the table bed, the doctor then swabs the skin where the spider legs are seen with an antiseptic solution. With the skin pulled taut, the doctor then injects a schlerosing solution for every spider vein that you have. The doctor then presses a cotton ball against the site and wraps it with compression tape. Depending on how many spider veins you may have, the session can last at least 15 minutes and at most 40 minutes. After every procedure, you will be advised by the doctor to wear a tight-fitting support hose for 48 hours in order to accelerate the healing rate for your legs. Expect some reddish and bruised sites caused by the invasive procedure, but they will disappear after a month. You may also find some residual brownish pigmentation, but these will also disappear after at most a year. When these side effects subside, you can see that after schlerotherapy spider veins will bother you no more. |