The word ‘sclerotherapy’ quite literally means “shutting a vein down”. Sclerotherapy is a technique used primarily for the treatment of spider veins. Spider veins, those small, delicate, red/pink/blue, starburst patterns of veins are completely benign; they have no effect on your health and are not a sign of poor circulation or blood clots. Typically, the only reason to treat them is because you don’t like how they look.
The mainstay of sclerotherapy is injection sclerotherapy, which involves the injection of a liquid into the vein which then causes the vein to shut down. The treatment is done through a tiny needle and involves multiple injections throughout the leg.
Sclerotherapy is not something that usually can be done all at once; multiple treatments are typically required. Patients are also required to wear a compression stocking after each treatment, which helps reduce some of the bruising that can occur.
Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic outpatient procedure that requires no ‘down time’ and does not interfere with exercise, travel, or any other activities.
