Varicose & Spider Vein Treatments

As we get older, many of us develop varicose and spider veins on our legs, face, arms, and other parts of our body. The appearance of these prominent, unattractive veins is not only a nuisance, but in severe cases can be quite painful.

Spider veins are purple or red in color, smaller than varicose veins, and are typically found on the face and legs. They are commonly close to the skin’s surface and form a web-like pattern, which is from where their name originates. Typically, spider veins are not painful and can be considered just an aesthetic issue. 

Varicose veins are also red, purple, or blue in color. However, they are much larger and more noticeable than spider veins and are most often found in the legs. Varicose veins can be obvious and look like long, bulging cords just underneath the skin’s surface, often in a rippled pattern. Unlike spider veins, varicose veins can cause aching, itchiness, and can be quite painful. Asclera® is an injectable vein treatment that has found to be effective for both varicose and spider veins. The treatment solution, or sclerosing agent, is injected into the affected veins, irritating the blood vessel’s lining and causing the vein to clot, which then causes the vein to collapse and disappear. Over time, the vein turns into scar tissue and will be diminished in appearance. 

Our treatment for sclerotherapy by means of Asclera® injection is performed on an outpatient basis and usually takes 15 minutes to one hour. The amount of treatments depends on the number of veins you want to treat, and multiple treatments are often needed to collapse the veins. 

After each treatment, there may some slight discomfort with itching and cramping to the given area. Before you leave, we will give you all needed instructions, such as advising you to wear a prescription-grade compression garment for a set amount of days that will aide in the veins collapsing and reduce risk of blood clots. There may be some bruising that will fade with time. Your Weston HCG Center professional will go over all side effects with you. 

Typically, spider veins respond to treatment in three to six weeks, while larger veins may take up to three to four months. If your vein responds well to the treatment, they will not reappear. However, new spider veins may appear over time and the need to new injections may arise. 

Sclerotherapy is a successful treatment for most patients, with 50-80% of injected veins being eliminated with each session.