Visage Medical Aesthetics

Sclerotherapy is a safe, effective treatment which has been used successfully for many years.  During the treatment a highly trained practitioner injects a tiny amount of sclerosing solution directly into the vein using a syringe with a tiny needle. The solution displaces the blood within the vein, making it blanch or turn white. The solution then causes the vessel to become irritated and to close down preventing the blood from re-entering the vein. The thread vein will gradually fade and wither two to eight weeks following treatment and some will completely disappear. However, some areas may require several treatments to achieve optimum results. An interval of 4-6 weeks between treatments is recommended. Most patients achieve their desired results after 3-4 treatments.

Once the vein has closed it will not come back but the injections do not prevent other thread veins from appearing in the future.  Typically a client can expect to see a 50% improvement with each treatment given.

Patients who have had Sclerotherapy have reported little discomfort. You may experience a slight to moderate burning sensation during the injection, but this lasts literally only a few seconds. A session lasts approximately one hour and a large number of veins can be injected on both legs during this time

No treatment is entirely without risk but serious complications from sclerotherapy are extremely rare.  Minor side effects include slight swelling at the injection site, redness and bruising, and occasionally a small dark area of pigmentation can occur. These do however fade over time.

It is possible, although rare that the thread veins will not respond to sclerotherapy even after four or more treatments.

Anesthesia is not necessary for this treatment as it is fairly painless. The actual treatment only takes up to an hour but requires no recovery time, so you can resume normal activities immediately.

Immediately after the injections have been given there will be small marks on the skin resembling insect bites. There may be some swelling for a few days, especially in the ankle area. These marks usually fade after about 14 days. You may be left with some brown pigmentation marks which will gradually fade after a few months.

The solution that most sclerotherapists use is called Polidocanol (Sclerovein) and this is relatively painless on injection. You may experience a slight pinprick followed by a little burning sensation at the injection site but this lasts only a few seconds.  It is a prescription only drug and therefore has to be prescribed by a doctor.

A fully qualified and experienced doctor or aesthetic trained nurse, who is registered with their relevant professional body (GMC or GNC) and has undergone extensive postgraduate training in these procedures.

Many people with thread veins can benefit from this treatment. During your consultation with the doctor or nurse a full medical history will be taken and a careful examination of the area to be treated to assess your suitability for sclerotherapy treatment. It is not recommended if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or have a problem with blood clotting or excessive bruising. It is also important that you inform the doctor of any medications currently being taken.