How effective is sclerotherapy for spider veins?

A clinician injects a solution into selected veins. The treated vessel irritates, closes, and is gradually reabsorbed, so blood is redirected through healthier nearby veins. Fine red or purple lines may fade more readily than larger or deeper vessels. Some veins need more than one treatment, and the final change may take time to become clear.

Sclerotherapy improves visible vessels; it does not remove the tendency to form spider veins. Hormonal changes, inherited vein patterns, prolonged standing, and an underlying vein problem may influence whether additional veins appear. A clinical assessment helps distinguish simple spider veins from veins associated with reflux or swelling.

Ask whether the pattern of veins has been assessed before treatment and which alternatives fit your skin and circulation. Share medicines, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding status, previous clotting problems, and any history of poor healing. Follow the clinic’s instructions about walking, compression, sun exposure, and products applied to the area. Gentle movement is commonly part of aftercare, while the exact plan depends on the treated veins and injection method.

Contact the treating clinic if redness, tenderness, swelling, blistering, or skin colour change is worsening rather than settling. Seek urgent care for sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing blood, or marked one-sided leg swelling and pain. These symptoms need prompt assessment and should not be attributed to routine recovery.

Which veins are being treated, and could an underlying vein issue be contributing? What degree of fading is realistic for my vein pattern and skin tone? How will you protect the skin and manage a vein that does not respond? What aftercare signs should prompt a call?