Staying Young Secret of the Week

In Search of a Solution for Spider Veins

Sclerotherapy is an easy way to address this cosmetic problem.

THE PROBLEM
As you age, small cosmetic annoyances are bound to pop up from head to toe. Among the most obvious are spider veins, those unpleasant-looking clusters of small thin purple or blue veins that many women over 40 spot on their legs, usually in the thigh and calf areas. Close to the skin's surface, they emerge as a result of pregnancy, hormonal changes, weight gain, or lack of exercise. (Varicose veins, on the other hand, are larger and thicker veins that can be painful and whose discoloration could suggest a more serious problem.) Spider veins are usually not a serious medical condition. They're simply unattractive and can make you feel and look older than you are. Luckily they can be treated very easily.

THE SOLUTION
How do you fight spider veins? With a well-known and simple procedure called sclerotherapy, a treatment that can be done on an outpatient basis by a plastic surgeon or in some cases, a dermatologist. In sclerotherapy, the doctor injects your veins with a solution (typically sodium chloride or sotradecol) that causes them to swell, clot, turn into scar tissue, and eventually disappear. In the past there was concern that the solutions used could be irritating or cause pain, but in the past ten years or so, the procedure has been perfected.

THE PROCEDURE
At the doctor's office, you'll get about one injection for every inch of affected vein, perhaps up to 40 injections in a single session lasting up 45 minutes, according to The Cleveland Clinic. You may be asked to wear compression stockings for a couple of days after the procedure to speed up the healing process. Within six weeks, all traces of the spider veins should be gone, but there's always the possibility that you'll develop new ones in other locations. Be sure to check your insurance coverage because your reimbursement, if any, may depend on whether your treatment was classified as therapeutic or cosmetic.