Say Goodbye to Spider Veins with Outpatient Sclerotherapy

Triple board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gordon Sasaki and his team of registered nurses and aestheticians at Sasaki Advanced Aesthetic Medical Center in Pasadena, California, provide premier surgical, nonsurgical, and medical grade skin care services to men and women throughout the nation.

This group of professionals enjoys a stellar reputation for offering skin care treatments that deliver top-level professional results in a spa-like setting. Here’s what they’d like you to know about sclerotherapy for eliminating spider veins.

What causes spider veins?

Spider veins (telangiectasias) occur when the walls of the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) near your skin’s surface weaken.

This causes blood to pool within the veins rather than flow freely, leading to visible surface irregularities that can present as web-like clusters of veins or single threads of purple, blue, or dark red vessels.

On the legs, spider veins are often associated with varicose veins. On the face and nose, they’re often a byproduct of the vascular changes related to acne rosacea. 

Other factors that increase your risk of developing spider veins and varicose veins include:

• Family history
• Excess weight
• Occupations that require prolonged standing
• Age, more common over 50 but can develop at any age
• Use of excessively tight clothing or undergarments
• Physical inactivity, especially sitting with legs crossed for prolonged periods
• Conditions such as heart failure, which increase pressure in the abdomen
• Hormonal changes related to birth control, pregnancy, or menopause
• Prolonged use of topical steroid creams
• History of blood clots

It’s estimated that about 50% of the US population eventually develop spider veins, which occur much more frequently in women than men.

What is sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a painless in-office treatment during which your provider injects a chemical substance (sclerosing agent) into the damaged vein.

This seals the vein and causes it to die as your body redirects blood flow to and through a nearby healthy vein. Your body then reabsorbs the nonfunctioning vein tissue, and the cosmetic effects of the treated spider vein fade.

Depending on the number of veins considered for treatment, you may need more than one session to achieve full results because each vein is injected separately with a small amount of the sclerosing agent. 

Sclerotherapy for spider veins is a somewhat meticulous process for which the Sasaki team is expertly trained, and the cosmetic results are well worth the effort.

What about laser treatment for spider veins?

Dr. Sasaki may recommend use of a vascular laser to treat telangiectasias on the face or around the nose. The laser is tuned to heat the vein tissue, causing the vessel to collapse, without damaging the surrounding skin.

Acne rosacea may also respond well to topical therapies and treatments with the IPL PhotoFacial® system.

For spider veins on your legs, Dr. Sasaki generally recommends sclerotherapy. He does sometimes suggest laser treatments as well, however, as a “finishing touch” to smooth away any remaining skin imperfections.

For expert care that offers premium results, schedule your consultation at Sasaki Advanced Aesthetic Medical Center today.