Spider veins are small superficial blood vessels just under the surface of the skin that have become enlarged. In their normal state, these "small" veins should be invisible (microscopic). They commonly occur on the legs and appear in varying shades of red or blue. These dilated blood vessels may be short, unconnected lines each about the size of a large hair or connected in a "sunburst" pattern. They may also look like a spider web or a tree with branches.
Treatment: We currently treat spider veins using a non-surgical procedure called Sclerotherapy. During this procedure, the patient applies a numbing gel to the area to be treated a few hours prior to the appointment.
At the appointment, the veins are injected with sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS), a detergent-like substance. It irritates the lining of the vein by affecting the fatty particles in this "lipo-protein" layer. As a result, the vein swells shut, and is "sclerosed" or turned into a tiny bit of scar-tissue. The body then resorbs the remnant of the vein.
Other detergent-like substances are available, but none other than STS have been FDA-approved for vein treatment. We do NOT use saline (hypertonic or concentrated) because it is more toxic, hurts more, causes cramps, and is not FDA-approved. While we have the newest laser available to treat leg veins, we can only recommend the use of this laser for certain individuals.
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