Spider Veins

are small enlarged blood vessels near the surface of the skin; usually they measure only a few millimeters. They can develop anywhere on the body but commonly on the face around the nose, cheeks, and chin. They can also develop on the legs, specifically on the upper thigh, below the knee joint, and around the ankles.

These are actually developmental abnormalities but can closely mimic the behaviour of benign vascular neoplasms. They may be composed of abnormal aggregations of arterioles, capillaries, or venules. Chronic treatment with topical corticosteroids may lead to telangiectasia.
  1. Certain veins require three or four treatments before they disappear.  The principle of injection therapy for small skin veins is to inject a sclerosing (scaring) agent into the vein, which causes the vein wall to become inflamed and seal together.  When the vein can no longer carry blood, it is no longer visible through the skin.  Certain veins require three or four treatments before they disappear.
  2. There is occasional skin pigmentation changes (brown spots).  When the tiny needle is inserted into the vein and the salt solution is injected, occasionally the vein will rupture allowing this solution to leak into the surrounding tissue.  This may result in a brown pigmented spot in the skin, which rarely is permanent and usually disappears with time.  It is usually small and no more obvious than the vein that was initially treated.  However, you should be aware that this is a possible complication of injection sclerotherapy, although it only occurs in approximately 10% of the cases.
  3. There is a rare occurrence of small skin ulcers after an injection.  Very rarely, an injection will be irritating enough to cause a small area of skin loss (ulcer).  In more than 70,000 injections, this complication has occurred 37 times.  These ulcers are the size of a pencil eraser, and can heal without incident, leaving just a small white scar.
  4. Flare formation (matting). Occasionally, immediately following injection, a new cluster of veins may form in proximity o0f the vein just injected.  This has the appearance of a blush in the skin.  These can usually be controlled by repeat injection.
  5. Pain.  Very small needles are used, and the discomfort during injection is minimal.
  6. You will be required to wear support hose after treatment.  After injection, your legs will be compressed with small gauze/cotton pads and a compression stocking.  This compression support must stay in place for 3 days and 2 nights, during which time you will not be able to shower or have a complete bath.  Then the stocking alone is used (except during sleep) for an additional two weeks, during which you may resume your normal bathing routine.
  7. Activities after injection.  During the injection treatments, your daily activities are not restricted.  You may continue to work and perform daily activities.  However aggressive exercising (such as jogging or high impact aerobics) should be avoided one to three weeks following treatment.
  8. New spider veins may form, requiring subsequent treatment.  Because we function and work in the e4rect position.  there is extra pressure on the veins of the leg.  Thus, there is a tendency for new spider veins to form.  Even after most of your veins have been removed by sclerotherapy, be aware that new spider veins can develop.  We ask all our patients to return for periodic re-evaluation so that any new veins can be injected before they become to large or too numerous.