Sclerotherapy treats spider veins as well as some larger unsightly veins. The veins that are the best canidates for Sclerotherapy are smaller, thin veins that lie close to the surface of the skin. Although these veins are linked to your larger venous system, they are not a necessary part of it. Veins that have a spider shape with a number of veins stretching outward from a dark central point are the easiest to treat.

Sclerotherapy requires no anesthesia and is usually performed in an outpatient setting. Two or more sessions, each lasting less than an hour, are usually required to obtain optimal results. In this treatment, sclerosing solution is injected into each affected vein, causing the vein to collapse and fade from view.

Although everyone is different, you can generally expect to receive one injection for every inch of spider vein that is treated. Bright light and magnification may be used to ensure maximum precision while the skin is held taut to inject sclerosing solution. A cotton ball and compression tape is often applied to each injection site as it is finished. This can also clear up other symptoms that you may be experiencing that are associated with varicose veins, like aching, burning, swelling and night cramps.

Sometimes, laser therapy is used in combination with sclerotherapy to acheive the optimal results.