Sclerotherapy is the Best Leg Spider Vein Treatment

While varicose veins appear as large, twisted, bulging, distended dark blue ropes beneath the skin, the spider veins present as small webs of red, purple or blue clusters or lines disfiguring the skin surface. These veins are not usually life threatening; however, they can disrupt and interfere with a person's comfort or style of living. Spider veins can be found on the legs and face and can cover either a very small or very large area of the skin. The presence of these veins on the legs is often an indication of faulty valves either in the spider veins themselves or the larger veins that “feed” them. Veins have valves that force blood to flow back to the heart against the force of gravity. When faulty, blood pools in the veins and causes them to enlarge. Leg spider veins rarely are a serious health problem, but they can cause itching, burning, and uncomfortable feelings in the legs. Many factors increase a person's chances of developing spider veins. Being born with weak vein valves or having family members with vein problems; for example, increases your risk of developing these veins. Hormonal changes, pregnancy, obesity, sitting or standing for a long time, crossing your legs while sitting, sun exposure, trauma, and faulty diet may all be contributors. Although lifestyle changes, such as, wearing compression stockings, exercising, or eating healthy food, may prevent the worsening of spider veins, the only rapid and effective way to get rid of them is through medical intervention. The oldest and most common spider vein treatment is known as sclerotherapy. Laser therapy is another spider vein treatment option; however, the procedure is more painful, more expensive, and require more visits .Most doctors reserve laser vein therapy for facial veins, because sclerotherapy of facial may cause blindness. Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a fluid (sclerosing agent) directly into the diseased veins. The sclerosing agent irritates the vessels, causing them to clump together or clot and become less noticeable. In the Unites States, vein specialists usually use either Polidocanol or Sotradecol (Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate or STS) as sclerosing agents. They are both approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for that purpose. Chromated Glycerin (Sclermo), used by many doctors in the States, is not yet FDA-approved, despite being a very popular sclerosant throughout the world with a long track record of safety. Hypertonic saline (salt solution); on the other hand, is FDA approved, but not for sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy injections do not require anesthesia because the procedure feels like tiny needle sticks. You can return to normal activity right after treatment. The number of veins treated in one session varies, and depends on the abundance of the veins. The spider vein treatment procedure is usually completed within 15 to 45 minutes. In general, spider veins respond to treatment in 3 to 6 weeks, and larger veins respond in 3 to 4 months. It is estimated that as many as 50 to 80 percent of injected veins may be eliminated with each injection session. You may be asked to wear compression stockings after sclerotherapy to help with healing and decrease swelling and bruising. A few (less than 10 percent) of patients do not respond to sclerotherapy at all or the veins recur soon after the treatment. In these instances, different solutions or a different method, such as laser therapy, may be tried. Failed spider vein treatment often means that a hidden source of venous reflux in the larger “feeder” veins was overlooked. These can be identified by means of Ultrasound Duplex imaging and treated with one of the minimally invasive procedures intended for that purpose. Venous Reflux refers to an abnormal communication between the body’s superficial and the deep vein system allowing reverse flow from the deep vein system into superficial veins. Most side effects of sclerotherapy are not serious. They may include: allergic reaction to the sclerosant solution, stinging, bruising, burning or muscle cramps during injection, skin discoloration, raised, hive-like bumps, tiny sores, and lumps of blood that get trapped in a vein. Your doctor can drain the trapped blood with a small pinprick at a follow-up visit. The other side effects will usually subside in a matter of days or weeks. Additional evaluation may be needed in case a person diabetic or has personal or family history of blood clotting or bleeding disorders or large varicose veins. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your expectations and health condition, because spider vein treatment results will vary depending on your age, health, medications you take, and the abundance of your spider veins. Click a link to learn more about spider vein treatment, sclerotherapy, spider veins, and other minimally invasive vein treatment options. The link will take you to the website of Nu Vela Esthetica, a premier Los Angeles Vein Clinic and Cosmetic Laser Surgery Center.