Sclerotherapy

Spider and varicose veins are an embarrassing and often painful condition that affects millions of men and women as a result of heredity, pregnancy, and hormones. These affected veins appear on the leg as a raised, tangled and unattractive web under the surface of the skin. Women are most often affected by this condition and as a result may be embarrassed to wear shorts or show their legs.

While spider and varicose veins have been successfully treated for years through conventional methods such as stripping and ligation, these procedures often cause pain and other unwanted symptoms during and after treatment.

Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic procedure that can effectively reduce the appearance of varicose and spider veins through a series of injections of a solution into the veins. The sclerotherapy solution reduces and removes the varicose or spider veins while re-routing the blood to other, healthier veins. Overtime, the appearance of the treated veins will typically diminish and fade back to a normal, even skin tone. Depending on your cosmetic goals and needs, several treatments may be required to achieve optimal results. Schedule a consultation with one of the skin care professionals at Bay Area Cosmetic Dermatology in San Francisco to learn more about sclerotherapy and your treatment options.

More questions? See our FAQs below.

APPOINTMENT DURATION

60 minutes on average

FREQUENCY

Evaluation after 6 week after initial treatment session to determine if additional sessions are needed.

PRICING

$250 per treatment session

Sclerotherapy FAQs

  • Spider veins are bundles of small red or blue veins near the surface of the skin. Spider veins are an uncomfortable condition found in millions of adult women.

  • Varicose veins are dilated and swollen blood vessels that appear in the large veins of the leg.

  • Sclerotherapy and ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy, is an effective, non-surgical treatment for unsightly spider and varicose veins.3 Surgical vein stripping often requires hospitalization and weeks of recovery. In contrast, sclerotherapy patients are encouraged to return to their normal activities immediately after treatment.

  • Generally, patients report little to no pain. There may be a slight warming or stinging sensation, which quickly dissipates. For this reason, anesthesia is rarely required.

  • Although recovery from vein treatment varies from patient to patient, there typically is no downtime. Patients can resume normal activities almost immediately. Minor bruising or swelling may occur, but should gradually fade within a week or two.

  • Varicose vein treatment is covered by most insurance companies. Let us research your coverage options.