Westlake, Ohio 44145
Spider veins—the thin visible dark blue or red veins that appear on the legs—are a common problem, especially among women. While they usually do not cause symptoms, spider veins can affect your confidence and may prevent you from wearing certain types of clothing due to embarrassment. Thankfully, however, there is a way to treat these veins, which helps to boost confidence for many patients!
At Cleveland’s Laser Skin and Surgery Center, Dr. Renuka Diwan MD, FAAD is happy to offer sclerotherapy to all patients looking to eliminate the appearance of spider veins on their legs. If you’re interested in learning more about sclerotherapy, check out our FAQs below:
Sclerotherapy remains the treatment of choice for patients with spider veins, and can provide extremely effective results. The results are more predictable than those from laser treatment of spider veins.
Sclerotherapy is an office procedure, which involves injection of the spider veins with a concentrated salt-water (saline) solution. Other solutions are available for injection, but saline is the safest and most effective in our experience. Dr. Diwan has helped many men and women by safely and effectively treating their spider veins with saline injection sclerotherapy.
Sclerotherapy causes minor discomfort—similar to that from eyebrow tweezing —for most patients. If desired, Dr. Diwan can use an anesthetic cream prior to your Sclerotherapy to minimize any discomfort.
Following your treatment, you should be able to return to your normal routine with little to no downtime. You will have small bruises at the injection sites which fade over 7-10 days. Wearing long pants or a long skirt helps to hide the bruises. We recommend wearing compression hose for the treated areas for three days. Dr. Diwan will provide you with detailed care instructions once your treatment is complete.
These photos are from a specific patient. Results may vary. Schedule a personalized consultation with our doctor to learn more.
To see Before and After Pictures please click here
After just one sclerotherapy treatment, the problem veins often fade dramatically or disappear completely. However, it will take six weeks (*) for the final result from the treatment session to be evident.
A second or third treatment may be recommended for further improvement and disappearance of the veins. The best time to have sclerotherapy is in the fall, winter, and spring since it is easier to keep the legs protected from the sun and hide the small temporary bruises. Sun protection before and after sclerotherapy is important to minimize the risk of pigmentation, especially in darker skin types.
As new veins may appear, over time, in patients with a tendency to have spider veins, additional treatments with Dr. Diwan may be necessary to keep your legs looking their best.
Most patients who receive sclerotherapy are between the ages of 30 – 60, (but younger and older patients can be treated) and are in good overall health. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, this treatment is not recommended. Sclerotherapy is also not recommended for patients with blood clotting disorders.
Just like any other injectable treatment, sclerotherapy has risks. These complications can include infection (which can be treated with antibiotics), pigmentation of the skin, appearance of tiny spider veins and, very rarely, a scar. However, with the proper care and attention these risks can easily be avoided. Dr. Diwan is dedicated to ensuring all patients have a safe and comfortable experience during their sclerotherapy treatment, and achieve excellent results.
While the veins that are treated are permanently removed and their appearance eliminated, new spider and varicose veins may develop on the legs over time due to the predisposition, usuallly genetic, to forming them and aging. As new veins appear, periodic treatments with Dr. Diwan may be necessary to keep your legs looking their best.
Not only does sclerotherapy improve the appearance of veins on the legs, it also helps restore confidence for those who have been insecure about the way their legs look because of their veins. If you’re ready to love your legs and feel confident in your skin again, book a consultation with us today by clicking here.
