Spider Veins and Sclerotherapy
Written by Dallas Vein Specialists on June 7, 2010
Spider veins are small, 0.1-1.0mm, red to blue veins in the top layer of the skin. They occur with increasing frequency in adults as they age but may be seen in teenagers as well. When seen in younger individuals the pattern of distribution is commonly on the lateral thigh or at the site of prior trauma. Spider veins may be seen anywhere on the leg, but when seen in dense accumulation on the ankle and foot, may be a sign of more serious vein problems.
Spider veins, also called telangiectasia, often have no associated symptoms and are only a cosmetic concern. Some patients do have burning or pressure discomfort when standing in the area of the spider vein clusters.
The best treatment for spider veins when not accompanied by more serious vein problems is sclerotherapy, injection of the spider veins with a chemical that damages the cells of the inner wall of the veins. The resulting inflammatory process induces clotting within the veins. The veins are subsequently removed by further action of the body’s inflammatory response. The whole process from injection to total resolution of the spider vein takes from 1 to 3 or more months. Larger veins usually take longer to disappear than smaller ones.
At Dallas Vein Specialists we perform sclerotherapy in our office setting. We try to achieve the best results for our patients. Depending on the extent of the spider veins, one or multiple treatment sessions may be necessary to achieve the cosmetic results a patient desires. We recommend separation of the treatments by a least 2 to 3 week intervals.