Sclerotherapy

What is it?

The safe, reliable and successful treatment to remove thread veins on legs

• Are you embarrassed by the appearance of your legs? Do you feel unable to wear shorts and swimwear because of unsightly veins over areas of your legs?

Sclerotherapy is a safe and well established treatment for thread veins on the legs. It has been used for over fifty years. Although there are a number of alternative treatments which are effective for thread veins on the face, it remains the only reliable and successful treatment for leg veins.

Thread veins are unsightly, very small, abnormally dilated blood vessels. They are red/blue in colour and lie very close to the surface of the skin.

How it works

Treatment involves injecting a solution with a very tiny needle, superficially into the veins (it is not painful). This causes the lining of the vein to become sticky and swell. A compression stocking is then applied to help healing. The length of time needed to wear the stockings varies according to the size of your veins. Usually this is between 24-72 hours continuously and then for a further 2-7 days, daytime only. Compression is very important as it helps to provide a better long term appearance with less side effects after the treatment. Research suggests that the longer it is worn the better.

Improvement in your veins can usually be seen after two to three months. The results after one treatment vary considerably from one client to another, some veins may disappear completely whilst others may only fade and some remain unchanged. For best results at least two sessions may be necessary.

Your susceptibility to thread veins does mean that other thread veins may emerge over a period of time. At this time, you will probably need further treatments. Some patients prefer to return each year whilst others may come back when more veins appear after a few years.

On completion of treatment, you should expect a 70-80% improvement in the overall appearance. Sadly, we can’t offer perfect legs but, we hope that you will see enough improvement to increase your confidence in the way your legs look, and get your shorts out this summer.

This treatment is not available on the NHS. The consultation consists of a full clinical examination of the legs, a full and frank explanation and discussion about what can be expected from the treatment, potential side effects, likely outcomes and the probable number of sessions required. Appointments usually last between 45 minutes and 1 hour and the initial consultation can be amalgamated with the first session of treatment