Many of us will encounter vein health issues at some point in our lives. Spider veins are small superficial veins located on the outer surface of your skin between the dermis and epidermis layers. Their appearance is similar to a spider web and varies in colour, most commonly blue and purple. They can be found on outer extremities (most commonly the legs) and are usually harmless.
Spider veins may cause an aching sensation and slight discomfort, especially after standing for long periods of time. However, it is uncommon for them to cause any significant pain, and they are mainly treated for cosmetic purposes.
What Causes Spider Veins?
In order to understand how spider veins form, you must know how blood circulation works. Your heart pumps blood to your entire body through the arteries. From there, oxygenated blood circulates to your extremities (arms, legs, head). Once your blood needs to be replenished with oxygen, it will begin moving back towards your heart through your veins. Unlike arteries, veins have valves to help push your blood back up to your heart. When the valve is working correctly, your vein opens the valve, pumps the blood through, and closes the valve again to prevent backflow. If the valve fails, the deoxygenated blood flows back downwards.
When blood flows in the wrong direction, it can exert pressure on the walls of your veins. This gradual pressure causes your veins to bulge, creating veins we can actually see. The blue/purple colour that is commonly seen is from the deoxygenated blood that failed to make it back to the heart.
Other factors that can contribute to developing spider veins include:
- Genetics
- Long periods of sitting
- Long periods of standing
- Age
- Level of physical activity
- Hormones
With over 20 years of extensive experience, our team of Calgary vein specialists offers fully customized, safe, and effective varicose and spider vein treatments, including sclerotherapy, echo sclerotherapy, and compression stockings. Whatever your needs, we will find the best treatment solution for you. To learn more contact our team by calling (403) 253-2555 or fill out our online contact form.
Sclerotherapy For Treating Spider Veins
If you decide to get rid of your unsightly spider veins, the best and most effective treatment is sclerotherapy. This procedure is minimally invasive and involves the injection of a sclerosing agent in the damaged vein. The sclerosing agent irritates the walls of your vein, causing them to stick together to block blood flow from going backward. This forces your blood to re-route to healthier veins while the damaged ones heal themselves over time. After a few weeks, the damaged veins would be fully healed, and their appearance will fade or disappear entirely.
What To Expect During Treatment
Sclerotherapy requires a consultation with a doctor to assess the problematic vein or lymph vessel. The procedure itself does not require anesthesia and can be done in 30 minutes. During the treatment, your doctor will ask you to lay down with your feet or area being treated elevated. Your doctor will then clean the treatment area and begin injecting the sclerosing agent to induce the veins to collapse and disappear. You may feel a slight pinch from the needle along with a burning or tingling sensation from the sclerosing agent. When the injection is complete, your doctor will massage the area to prevent blood from flowing back into the treated veins. There is no recovery time after the procedure, but you may be required to wear compression stockings for a short period.
Multiple Treatments May Be Required
Depending on the size, area, and the number of spider veins you have, you may be required to have several treatments done in order to see optimal results. The treatments are usually spaced out a few weeks apart. Even after many sclerotherapy treatments, it can still take months to see visible results. The final results are long-lasting but not permanent.
Sclerotherapy treatment is only cosmetic. It will not help with more serious underlying issues that cause varicose veins. If varicose veins are not treated, your spider veins may return.
Visit Our Calgary Vein Clinic Today!
One of the most critical components of our circulatory system is our veins. If they do not function properly, you will be at an increased risk of developing blood flow issues as well as suffer from the unfortunate appearance that comes with spider veins.
Sclerotherapy is a quick, minimally invasive solution for removing your spider veins for a long time. However, this procedure is purely cosmetic and does not address the conditions that cause spider veins in the first place.
There is no more need to keep covering up your body to hide your unappealing spider veins. Call Glenmore Landing Vein Clinic at 403-253-2555 or fill in our online contact form to learn more about our sclerotherapy treatment.
FAQs
Q: Why do I need to have my spider veins treated?
A: Most people have their spider veins treated for cosmetic purposes. Severe cases of spider veins may have to be treated due to health concerns or discomfort.
Q: What If I am afraid of needles?
A: The needles used for sclerotherapy treatment are extremely fine and do not cause pain when inserted into the vein. At worst, you may feel a slight pinch in the injection site. Our experienced practitioners at GLVC will ensure you have a safe, comfortable experience during your treatment. If you have any anxieties, contact us today so we can answer any questions and address any concerns you may have.
Q: How long does treatment take?
A: Sclerotherapy treatments are usually fast with very little to no recovery time. Depending on the size and severity of your spider veins, you can expect the treatment to take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
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