Cosmetic Dermatology
Sclerotherapy of Leg Veins

With new cosmetic developments occurring at such a fast pace, Dr. Hirsch urges all patients to make certain that they work with an experienced, board-certified dermatologist to ensure proper safety with treatment. Never be afraid to ask your physician about their training and qualifications, or what their experience is with a particular procedure or device. Since any type of procedure can carry potential side effects, it is crucial to entrust your face and body only to qualified, experienced hands.

Sclerotherapy is an effective treatment for small spider type veins on the legs. The procedure, which takes 15-30 minutes, involves injecting small amounts of a solution into the vein, which causes inflammation of the vessel wall, and eventual collapse and disappearance of the vessel. Typically about 50% of treated veins will respond to any given treatment, therefore, multiple treatments are needed to get the best results. Although significant improvement is achieved, it is usually not possible to eliminate 100% of treated veins with sclerotherapy. Dr. Hirsch will recommend that you follow the therapy with the wearing of support hose to improve the odds of success with the treatment. This and what recommendations she will have will be covered at the time of your consultation.

It is best not to use aspirin prior to sclerotherapy to reduce bruising after the procedure. Sclerotherapy can sometimes leave dark spots at the treated sites, which may take months to resolve. Most patients have minimal side effects and are very pleased with the improvement in the appearance of their veins.