All About Sclerotherapy

Leg veins are one of those conditions that runs in the family. Up to a certain point, they can be perfectly harmless–but, even then, they can be pretty gnarly.

Many women find that their veins make them feel self-conscious about wearing skirts.

That’s where sclerotherapy treatment comes in.

What Is Sclerotherapy?

Named after one of the solutions used in the therapy, Asclera, sclerotherapy is the simple procedure of injecting solution into the veins. This causes them to ‘disappear.’

How does it work? Essentially, the solution injected into the veins dries them out. This actually damages the veins – but only the cells which line the blood vessels.

These cells are unnecessary functionally. So when they’re damaged, they are absorbed into the body, and the veins close up.

What’s Treatment Like for Sclerotherapy?

Sessions are extremely short. In fact, a full session of sclerotherapy takes only 15 minutes.

The amount of sessions you’ll need to get rid of your veins varies. Typically, it will take 3 to 6 sessions. If your veins have been a chronic condition, they may take more sessions to get rid of. Regardless, the process to get rid of veins only numbers in the months.

If Asclera is used, the procedure is completely painless. If hypertonic saline solution is used, the patient may feel stinging or a few minutes after the injection.

Am I a Good Candidate for Sclerotherapy?

There are three types of veins that usually bother patients. Spider veins, reticular veins, and varicose veins.

Both reticular and spider veins are smaller than varicose veins, and more precisely suited to treatment by sclerotherapy.

While schlerotherapy, specifically using Asclera, can treat varicose veins, not all offices are comfortable treating varicose veins with sclerotherapy due to side effects that may appear.

Therefore, if you have veins that are bothering you, it’s important to talk to a doctor to see if you’re a good candidate.

Other treatment options may or may not be better for your specific brand of vein.