Goodbye spider veins, we won’t miss you.
Weight gain, heredity, pregnancy, hormonal changes, trauma, and prolonged sitting or standing are all factors that contribute to the development of visible spider veins.
While staying active can provide some measure of prevention, varicose and spider veins are common and frequently unavoidable. If you’ve noticed these pesky red, blue, purple, or even pink veins on your legs that cause you to shy away from shorts or dresses, come to Levitt Medical Aesthetics for Asclera® sclerotherapy in Albany, OR.
Treatment highlights
The details
What it treats
Uncomplicated spider veins
Uncomplicated reticular veins
Aching, swelling, or cramping legs
Side effects might include...
Bruising
Redness
Soreness at the injection sites
Where it treats
Calves
Shins
Around knees
Thighs
Often combined with...
Benefits
- Treats pain associated with unwanted veins
- Minimally invasive
- Permanent results
- FDA-approved treatment
How it works
Affecting half the population, spider veins are thread-like purple/red broken blood vessels or blue/green larger vessels.
They can develop on the legs and may look like thin branches or strands of a spider web. Spider veins are mainly a cosmetic issue, but for some people, they can become very uncomfortable and can cause aching, burning, swelling, and leg cramping.
Spider veins develop from a backflow of blood in the veins, a condition that results from damaged valves in the veins. As blood collects in these veins, their walls become enlarged and as a result, the size of the veins increases and makes them visible under the surface of the skin.
During the treatment, we inject a sclerosing (salt) solution into the vein through a tiny needle which irritates the lining of the vessel and causes it to collapse. This leads to a healing process and the vein gradually fades. Some veins disappear completely while others fade significantly. You may require several sclerotherapy treatments to achieve optimal results.
Sclerotherapy is the most common and effective treatment for spider veins of the legs and for certain varicose veins.
What to expect
Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic treatment that is performed in our Albany, OR office as an outpatient procedure.
During your private sclerotherapy treatment session with Dr. Levitt, he will inject a sclerosing chemical solution (using a fine needle) into each spider or varicose vein you want to eliminate. Dr. Levitt will use pressure during the injection to ensure proper treatment. You may feel slight pain or a cramping sensation during the injection that does not last longer than 1 to 2 minutes.
Once your injection session is complete, Dr. Levitt will recommend compression garments to you, along with how long you should wear them.
Compression garments apply continuous pressure on the medicated veins and will speed up the process of collapsing and eliminating the vein. You should see noticeable improvements in 2 to 3 weeks and the veins should fade within 6 weeks.
Before & after
FAQ
About a month after your treatment, we will schedule a follow-up appointment to evaluate the results and determine if you need another treatment to address your bothersome spider veins. Effectively treated veins collapse, die, and are eliminated naturally by your body. However, new spider veins could appear in the future, making additional Asclera appointments at Levitt Medical Aesthetics necessary.
It is difficult to prevent spider veins resulting from genetics or aging, though some steps can be taken to address other causes. We suggest relieving pressure on your legs by keeping your weight manageable, avoiding long periods of standing or sitting, not crossing your legs, and avoiding tight clothing. You can also exercise to improve blood circulation, use SPF 30+ any time you're in the sun, and elevate your legs when sitting or laying down to reduce your risk.
Sclerotherapy treatments are helpful for healthy women and men who don't like the small or medium-sized blood vessels or "spider veins" that can be seen underneath the skin of their body. To be a sclerotherapy candidate, you need to be in good health the day of your appointment, which can minimize the chance of a reaction. You should also not have a history of blood clots or be pregnant.
You can have sclerotherapy at any time of the year; however, some patients feel more comfortable wearing compression stockings during the colder months of the year. Moreover, complete healing, including the disappearance of the treated spider veins, bruising, and pigmentation may sometimes take several weeks.
Start your
journey
Unsure where to begin? Use our instant virtual consultation tool to tell us about your concerns or contact us to schedule a consultation with the experienced team at Levitt Medical Aesthetics today.
A medical aesthetics practice unlike any other in Albany
Dr. Levitt personally sees to all aspects of his patients’ care, including sitting down with them during their initial consultation, performing most treatments himself and making follow-up calls to ensure patients love their results.
Unlike other aesthetic medical centers who hire nurses to perform injections, Dr. Levitt personally performs the injections and procedures offered at Levitt Medical Aesthetics. As a physician certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, he can wholly deliver safe and effective treatment to his patients.