Sclerotherapy treats small veins and thread veins on the face and legs. Thread veins are unsightly, very small blood vessels. They are red/blue in colour and lie very close to the surface of the skin. Usually they cause no physical problems, but occasionally cause discomfort and itching.

A solution is injected directly into the vein. By irritating the lining of the vessel, the solution causes the vein wall to collapse. Small vessels will be absorbed by the body over a three-month period and should not reappear. However, it is still likely that new ones will occur in a similar area.

The results after one treatment vary considerably from one client to another. Some veins may disappear completely whilst others may only fade and some remain unchanged. On completion of a successful treatment you can expect an improvement in the overall appearance of 60 – 80%. Whilst these veins can be treated there is no cure to prevent them occurring again in the future.

The injections are performed with you lying down. A solution is injected with a very tiny needle, superficially into the veins. This causes the lining of the vein to become sticky and swell. Compression is then applied to close the veins. Sclerotherapy need not be painful, but you may experience low grade stinging as the solution is injected into the vein. Occasionally, there may be a feeling of discomfort after the injections, but this usually subsides between 2-4 hours.

Although safe, sclerotherapy is not entirely without risk. After treatment there will be some localised swelling, redness and bruising but this usually disappears within 1-4 days after treatment. A full list of benefits and side effects will be discussed during your initial consultation.