Thread Vein Treatments
What are thread veins?
Thread or spider veins are fine red or blue capillary blood
vessels situated just under the skin. They can be quite disfiguring
and occur anywhere on the body but particularly the legs and
face.
THE TREATMENT - What is micro-sclerotherapy?
Micro-sclerotherapy is a well established technique for the
elimination of blue and thread veins using a very small needle.
What solutions are injected?
There are several different solutions available. They all act by
irritating the lining of the abnormal veins causing them to shrivel
up and be absorbed.
Effective treatment requires the selection of the best solution
of appropriate strength to eradicate the veins without leaving any
residual marks.
TEST INJECTIONS
These are required to determine the correct solution for you.
The two weakest solutions are injected in discrete areas and these
test sites are examined 1-2 weeks later. Although it can take 6-8
weeks for complete disappearance, the success of treatment can be
judged much earlier. If one or other solution has worked, full
injections sessions are then carried out, usually treating one leg
at a time. If neither has been effective then the test injections
are repeated with stronger solutions. These tests are essential if
a good cosmetic result is to be achieved.
What is the Success Rate?
In most cases 80-90% clearance can be expected. Between 2 and 10
treatment sessions are required, depending on the number of veins.
In a very few patients the injections are ineffective and in such
cases it may be possible to treat with laser or intense pulsed
light treatment.
Are there any side effects?
The vessels usually look worse for several weeks with some
bruising and swelling. You may experience brown streaks where the
veins have been treated but these gradually disappear. The
avoidance of these pigment marks is the prime reason for the test
injections.
Very occasionally tiny vessels (telangiectatic matting) can
occur at one of the injection sites.
Are there any contra-indications to treatment?
Hormone Replacement Therapy and the birth control pill are not
contra-indications to treatment but are associated with a slightly
higher failure rate. Anyone with a history of Deep Vein Thrombosis
or pulmonary embolus should not be treated.