Sclerotherapy
What Is Sclerotherapy?
It is the injection of a chemical superficially into spider veins. Spider veins are those small, red-purple-blue color veins that are present just below the surface of the skin. The veins are enlarged because they are full with blood that is not flowing properly. Although spider veins are actually much smaller, and typically less painful, than Varicose Veins, they can be more noticeable because they lie just beneath the surface of the skin and their darker color makes them more prominent.
They are typically not a serious medical concern, but their presence can be symptomatic of various vein diseases. They can result in itching, burning, and minor aches and pains. The most common causes of spider veins include:
Heredity
Gender (They are more common in women than men.)
Pregnancy
Hormones
Aging
Prolonged standing or sitting
Obesity
Injury
Sclerotherapy is when a sclerosing agent that is injected into the spider vein. It works by damaging the endothelium, the inside lining of blood vessels. This causes platelets and cellular debris to attach to the lining of the vessels. Cellular debris and platelets cause the blood vessel to clot. Eventually, the clotted vein will be replaced with tissue and the spider vein will resolve.
