Are you ready to banish spider veins? Spider veins may appear as clusters of red, blue, or purple veins on the thighs, calves, or ankles—and they sometimes cause bothersome symptoms, such as aching, burning, swelling, and night cramps. Sclerotherapy is a relatively simple procedure that can help improve the appearance of your legs. During sclerotherapy treatment, spider veins are injected with a sclerosing solution that causes them to collapse and fade from view.
Although sclerotherapy can enhance your appearance, it is unrealistic to expect that every affected vein will disappear completely as a result of treatment. The procedure treats veins that are currently visible, but it does not prevent new veins from surfacing in the future. Be sure to discuss your expectations with your doctor before you decide to have sclerotherapy.
Planning and recovery
During your initial consultation, your doctor will examine your legs and identify areas affected by spider veins or other problems. Your doctor will also check for signs of more serious deep vein problems.
If any problems are discovered, you will be referred to a vascular surgeon who specializes in varicose veins for further evaluation. Treatment for larger problems must be resolved before treatment of surface veins with sclerotherapy can be done successfully.
Sclerotherapy requires no anesthesia and is usually performed in a doctor’s office. A typical sclerotherapy session lasts about 15 to 45 minutes.
During your treatment session, the skin over your spider veins will be cleaned with an antiseptic solution. Your doctor or nurse will inject the sclerosing agent into the affected veins—you may receive anywhere from 5 to 40 injections per treatment session. Although you will feel small needle sticks, and possibly a mild burning sensation, the pain is usually minimal. Please note that several treatments are usually required to get the best results.
Recovery after sclerotherapy
You will have cotton balls and compression tape applied to the affected area following treatment. Your doctor may also prescribe tight-fitting compression stockings to guard against blood clots and promote healing. Keep in mind, the veins in your legs will look worse before they begin to look better. Your legs may be bruised or slightly discolored for some weeks afterward. In some cases, irregularities with pigmentation (brownish splotches) may take months or up to a year to completely fade.
Minimally invasive treatment that closes off varicose and spider veins
Sclerotherapy is a nonsurgical procedure to treat varicose and spider veins. These conditions affect 20 percent of U.S. adults and, though mostly a cosmetic issue, can be painful or a sign of more serious problems. You may be a good candidate if other treatments haven’t worked or if your case is particularly severe.
Sclerotherapy is one of many proven treatments available from our Vein Program. Our doctors will work with you to relieve pain, prevent complications, and improve your appearance by creating a customized treatment plan for your varicose or spider veins.
What to expect from sclerotherapy
Your doctor will clean the area in which the varicose or spider veins are located. The doctor will inject each vein with a solution that irritates it and causes it to swell shut. This blocks blood from being able to enter the vein. Over time, the vein will turn into scar tissue and fade away.
The procedure usually takes about a half hour, though it depends on the number of veins being treated. Your doctor will ask you to walk around afterward to help prevent the formation of blood clots. You should be able to resume your normal activities the same day or the day after the procedure.
Sclerotherapy procedure for spider veins
Before and After Photos
Before Sclerotherapy
After Sclerotherapy
Before Sclerotherapy
After Sclerotherapy
Conditions
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a condition in which the veins in the legs malfunction and allow blood to leak backward, causing blood to pool in the legs and putting increased pressure on the veins.
Superficial thrombophlebitis is a blood clot near the surface of the skin that causes inflammation of the vein, leading to redness and swelling.
Varicose and spider veins occur when the veins near the surface of the skin become enlarged and twisted.
Additional information
Vein Program
Improve your appearance, decrease pain, and prevent serious complications caused by varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, and other venous conditions with minimally invasive treatment from our vascular team.
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
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Cameron M. Akbari, MD, MBA
Vascular Surgery
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Vanessa R. Banks-Gonzales, ACNP-BC
Vascular Surgery
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Suzanne M Benn, FNP-BC
Vascular Surgery
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Joshua A. Dearing, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Javairiah Fatima, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Yelena Game, PA-C
Vascular Surgery
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John Harvey, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Suzanne Siefert Kool, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Brittany C. Montgomery, AGACNP-BC, APRN, MSN
Vascular Surgery
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Daniel M. Schwegler, PA-C
Vascular Surgery
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Asmeret Tewolde, FNP-C
Vascular Surgery
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Raghuveer Vallabhaneni, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Sarkis Garabet Aghazarian, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Mouhamad Annous, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Naren Gupta, MBBS
Vascular Surgery
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Shan-E-Ali Haider, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Our locations
Distance from Change locationEnter your location
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20010
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
3800 Reservoir Rd. NW Washington, DC, 20007
MedStar Health: Heart and Vascular at Johnston Professional Building
3333 North Calvert Street MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Johnston Professional Building Baltimore, MD 21218
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
9101 Franklin Square Dr. MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center Suite 212 Baltimore, MD 21237
MedStar Health: Cardiology at Dorsey Hall
9501 Old Annapolis Road Ellicott City, MD 21042
MedStar Health: Cardiology at Bel Air
12 MedStar Blvd. Suite 170 Bel Air, MD 21015
MedStar Health: Cardiology Associates at Annapolis
2002 Medical Parkway Suite 500 Annapolis, MD 21401
MedStar Health: Cardiology Associates at Bowie
4175 North Hanson Court Suite 100 Bowie, MD 20716
MedStar Health: Interventional Cardiology at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
7501 Surratts Road Ste 306 Clinton, MD 20735
(301-877-5637)
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at Chevy Chase
5454 Wisconsin Avenue Ste 1225 Chevy Chase, MD 20815
855-385-5335
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital
25500 Point Lookout Road Ste 200 Leonardtown, MD 20650
MedStar Health: Medical Center at Lafayette Centre
1133 21st St., NW Building 2 Washington, DC, 20036
Frequently asked questions
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How much do sclerotherapy treatments cost?
The costs for sclerotherapy will vary based on your specific needs. Most insurance plans do not cover cosmetic procedures. When you come in for your consultation visit, we’ll be better able to discuss fees in detail with you. Our staff will also review the financing options available.
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Is sclerotherapy treatment safe for new moms?
You may be advised to postpone sclerotherapy if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Spider veins that appear during pregnancy often disappear on their own within three months after your baby is born, so it’s best to wait. Also, nursing mothers are advised to wait until they have stopped breastfeeding, because it’s not known how sclerosing solutions may affect breast milk.
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What are the risks of sclerotherapy?
Although serious medical complications from sclerotherapy are extremely rare when the procedure is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, they can occur. Risks include blood clots in the veins, severe inflammation, allergic reaction to the sclerosing solution, and skin injury that could leave a small scar.
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How should I prepare for the procedure?
Your doctor will provide instructions on how to prepare for your treatment. Follow these instructions carefully to help the procedure go more smoothly. You should not apply any type of moisturizer, sunscreen, or oil to your legs on the day of your procedure. You may want to bring shorts to wear during the injections and physician-prescribed compression stockings to wear after your treatment session.
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Will I need more than one sclerotherapy session?
Your veins will appear lighter after each sclerotherapy session. Two or more sessions are usually needed to achieve the best results. Also keep in mind, as time passes you may decide to have further sclerotherapy to treat new spider veins that appear.
Ask MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Have general questions for our heart and vascular program? Email us at AskMHVI@medstar.net. If you have clinically-specific questions, please contact your physician’s office.