Vein Treatments

Eliminate unsightly veins which commonly develop on the face, legs, and hands.

Procedure

Non-surgical vein treatments get rid of unsightly veins by causing the veins to collapse and be absorbed by the body.

  • Sclerotherapy involves injections of a solution into the unwanted veins using a fine needle. The solution (made with substances such as saline or glycerin) causes the lining of the veins to swell and stick together. This simple, effective varicose and spider vein treatment involves minimal discomfort and has been in use for over a hundred years.
  • Laser vein therapy, which is most effective on the face and small spider veins, causes the veins to collapse by heating up the pigment in the blood that is concentrated in the veins. Treatments create mild discomfort with each pulse of the laser and can be performed without anesthetic.

Length

Treatments take approximately 30 minutes to one hour to complete, depending on the number of areas being addressed.

Anesthesia

Topical anesthetic can be used for enhanced patient comfort.

Inpatient/Outpatient

These are outpatient treatments which may be performed in the physician’s office.

Risks

  • Sclerotherapy may result in temporary bruising, brown spots, lumps from trapped blood, swelling, telangiectactic matting (a collection of fine blood vessels), ulcers, and inflammation.
  • Laser vein therapy risks include temporary bruising, burns, changes in skin coloring, and discomfort caused by nerve damage.

Recovery

Patients can return to work immediately after vein treatment. They will need to avoid exercise or strenuous activity for approximately one week so that treated veins remain collapsed. After vein treatments on the legs, the patient may need to wear support stockings for one or more weeks to maintain pressure on the treated veins. It is important to avoid sun exposure until inflammation has subsided, which could be several days to a week after treatment.

Results

  • After sclerotherapy the treated veins clear away within three weeks to six months.
  • After laser vein therapy treated spider veins clear away in about a month.

Both treatments may need to be repeated to completely clear away the unwanted veins.

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