Leg Vein Treatments
Lafayette Parish – Baton Rouge and Lake Charles, Louisiana Dermatology and Medical Spa
Getting Rid of Unsightly Leg Veins With Sclerotherapy
Spider veins, or telangiectasias, are small blue and purple veins in the skin that have a spider web-like appearance. Spider veins are different from varicose veins which are larger veins, located more deeply, that may appear as bumps or lumpy protrusions under the skin, with or without a bluish coloration.
One popular method for treating spider veins is by sclerotherapy. Injection therapy has been part of the treatment of spider and varicose veins for more than 50 years. The principle of injection is to fill the vein being treated with a solution that will empty the vein of blood and cause the vein wall to become inflamed. As a result, the walls of the vein will sticks together and the vein will be obliterated and no longer be visible.
Various chemical substances are utilized in injection treatment of varicose veins. Common among these are sodium tetradecyl sulfate, hypertonic saline, and polidocanol. The needles used for injection are extremely small and cause little pain. The pain, if any, lasts only a few seconds. A pressure dressing or graduated support stocking may be applied to the area following injection so that the veins will remain empty of blood.
To adequately treat a spider vein, multiple treatment sessions are usually required. The number of treatments varies based on the severity of the vein problem. Typically, three treatments are required for each spider vein. In each treatment session, as many of the spider veins will be treated as time allows. This is done to minimize the number of treatments required. Following treatment, you can go about most of your normal daily activities as desired.
It should be understood that sclerotherapy is not a miracle cure. Neither injection therapy nor anything else will return the skin of the lower extremities to the way it was as a teenager. Certainly, most of the objectionable veins can be obliterated. Nevertheless, small blemishes inevitably remain that are visible to the naked eye.
Because the veins of the lower extremities are under high pressure, there is a tendency for recurrence of spider veins. Either new areas with spider veins may develop or those areas that have been injected may recur at any time. This requires that an individual understand the need to return to our center for rechecks and minor additional treatments on a yearly basis.
Sclerotherapy is an affordable, effective and safe method of treating these unwanted veins. In some cases, leg veins can also be eliminated with the use of a laser. Founder & medical director of a Jeuné and Acadiana Dermatology, Dr. Christopher Hubbell can best determine if Sclerotherapy or laser treatment is right for you.