Is Sclerotherapy a Temporary or Permanent Treatment for Spider Veins?

Sclerotherapy has been the top treatment for spider veins since the 1940s, giving it a long history of proving its safety and effectiveness. But are the results permanent? Yes, they are.

Sclerotherapy eliminates the treated veins. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll never see another spider vein. New spider veins may appear down the road.

At the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care in Hobart, LaPorte, Munster, Valparaiso, and Merrillville, Indiana, our experienced vascular specialists treat spider veins with sclerotherapy and recommend tips that may prevent these unsightly veins from reappearing.

Let’s explore how sclerotherapy creates permanent results and steps you can take to prevent future vein problems.

About spider veins

Spider veins (telangiectasias) begin in capillaries where veins and arteries meet. These tiny capillary vessels branch out, forming a web-like network. They’re also close to the skin’s surface. As a result, they’re highly visible when the veins enlarge.

Spider veins may be red, blue, or purple, and they’re usually flat but can be slightly raised. While they often develop in the legs, they also frequently appear in your face.

These tiny veins rarely cause symptoms, but they’re incredibly unattractive. We can restore your appearance with sclerotherapy.

How sclerotherapy eliminates spider veins

Sclerotherapy is an injectable treatment. We inject medicine into the targeted blood vessels using a fine needle. Several medications, called sclerosing agents, treat spider veins, but they all produce the same results.

The medication affects the inner wall of the vessel, causing inflammation. As the vessel swells, the walls stick together and turn into scar tissue. Your body gradually metabolizes and removes the scar tissue.

Spider veins successfully treated with a sclerosing agent are permanently eliminated. The blood vessel won’t regrow or return, and blood flow will reroute through another path. But other capillaries can become engorged and cause new spider veins in the future.

Preventing spider veins

Many factors contribute to spider veins. You may inherit a genetic tendency to develop them. Spider veins are also more common in women. Though your chances of spider veins increase with age, they often appear in young adults.

Other possible spider vein causes include:

• Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
• Hormonal changes and therapies
• Connective tissue diseases
• Pregnancy
• Injuries

Though you can’t control all the causes, you can lower your risk by optimizing the overall health of your blood vessels.

Here are four preventive tips to follow:

1. Avoid prolonged sitting and standing 

Moving your leg muscles is essential for healthy circulation. Muscle contractions push blood up your leg veins. Crucial leg movement stops if you spend a long time sitting or standing.

Prolonged sitting and standing also affect circulation by putting extra pressure on the leg veins. The added pressure damages one-way valves that keep blood moving in one direction. As the valves weaken, blood accumulates in the vein, causing spider and varicose veins.

If you must spend time sitting or standing due to your job, an illness, travel, or any other issue, restore circulation with regular breaks. If you can’t get up and walk, stretch your legs and move your feet.

2. Reach and maintain a healthy weight

Carrying extra weight, especially around your belly, places pressure on the veins in your lower body and legs. Like the pressure from sitting, being overweight increases your risk of spider veins.

3. Put your feet up

Elevating your feet improves leg circulation. It’s easy to kick up your feet at home, but you can also elevate your legs at work with a small stool or cushion under your desk.

4. Protect your skin from sunlight

Ultraviolet light breaks down collagen, the strong protein that supports your skin and blood vessel walls. As a result, the vein walls weaken and expand, allowing blood to accumulate and causing spider veins.

You can prevent sun damage by regularly applying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing or a hat that shades your face.

Ready to eliminate spider veins?

Call the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care today or complete the online form to request an appointment to learn more about sclerotherapy and eliminating spider veins.