Sclerotherapy is the go-to treatment for those tired of dealing with unsightly varicose, spider, and thread veins. Think of it as a simple, injectable solution to smoother skin and better circulation. Using a tiny needle, a medical solution called a sclerosant is injected directly into the problematic veins. This clever solution causes the veins to collapse, reabsorb into the surrounding tissue, and—just like magic—they gradually disappear.
Not only does sclerotherapy improve the appearance of your veins, but it also boosts circulation.
“Sclerotherapy is the perfect solution for those difficult-to-tackle blue, purple, or red blood vessels on the legs. It’s ideal for anyone wanting to enhance skin tone and reduce discoloration, ensuring confidence throughout the summer months and beyond.”
“Primed to deliver fast-fire rejuvenation, dermal fillers can help to diminish wrinkles, soften creasing, build contours that were previously unattainable and/or restore a fullness to the skin.”
While irritating veins can pop up almost anywhere, they most commonly wreak havoc on the legs. That’s where sclerotherapy shines. At The Lovely Clinic in Chelsea, we primarily use this treatment to tackle spider and varicose veins in the legs. However, it’s not a fix-all for every vein issue. For example, it’s not recommended for wide blue veins or veins found on the face or ankles (for this we use our Clear V laser).
If you’re between 30 and 60, generally healthy, and fed up with visible veins on the legs, sclerotherapy could be perfect for you. Both men and women can benefit from this treatment, especially if they’re experiencing embarrassment from showing the legs whilst wearing shorts or a skirt, or when swimming.
While anyone can develop spider and varicose veins, you’re more likely to see them if you have a family history, are female, pregnant, menopausal, overweight, or spend long hours standing. For small to medium-sized veins, sclerotherapy is ideal, but larger veins may require surgical intervention—don’t worry, The Lovely Clinic can refer you to a top-notch surgeon nearby.
One of the reasons sclerotherapy is so popular is that it’s quick and convenient. A session takes just 30 to 45 minutes, and most people need three to five sessions spaced a month apart for best results. After the treatment, visible improvements will take about a month to appear, but the results are long-lasting. If veins do return, it’s due to a natural predisposition rather than the effectiveness of the treatment.
There’s little to no downtime with sclerotherapy. In fact, you’ll be encouraged to take a stroll right after your session, and you may need to wear compression stockings to enhance the healing process.
Sclerotherapy plays well with other treatments, especially if you’re looking to tackle more than just leg veins. Spider veins or thread veins on the ankles or face can also be addressed using complementary treatments like Broadband Light (BBL) or ClearV laser therapy. BBL, which is more powerful than IPL, and Clear V, a laser designed to treat veins without harming surrounding skin, work wonders alongside sclerotherapy to give you comprehensive results.
Sclerotherapy is non-invasive, requires no anaesthesia, and is generally very safe. Most patients experience few, if any, side effects. In rare cases, side effects such as the appearance of new spider veins (known as telangiectasia) can occur, but these typically fade on their own. In even rarer cases, tissue damage (necrosis) could happen if an artery is mistakenly treated instead of a vein—this is highly unlikely if you’re in the hands of a skilled doctor or nurse.
That said, sclerotherapy isn’t for everyone. It’s not suitable for patients with cardiovascular issues, those who’ve had heart bypass surgery, or anyone who is pregnant. It’s also not recommended for people with deep vein thrombosis, infections, or blood clotting disorders.
Curious if sclerotherapy is right for you? The Lovely Clinic offers consultations to help you figure out the best path forward. Why wait to reclaim your skin and confidence? Let sclerotherapy work its magic.
Sclerotherapy is the ideal, solution for those unsightly blood vessels, on the legs leaving the skin, looking clear and rejuvenated.
Here are a few final things that you might like to know before taking things forward. If you have any other questions we haven’t thought of yet, no problem! Please email us at hello@thelovelyclinic.co.uk and one of the team will get back to you as quickly as they possibly can.
No, sclerotherapy is not painful. There can be a small amount of discomfort during treatment but thanks to the extra-fine needles that we use and the sensitive way in which we handle the tissue most patients report no issues at all.
Although social media can make it appear as though sclerotherapy works immediately this is unfortunately not the case. There is an immediate closure of the vessel but this is temporary and it opens up again shortly after. It normally takes about 4 weeks for you to see the full impact of one treatment session.
Skin breakdown is the main worry and due to the nature of the vasculature around the ankle it is not possible to perform sclerotherapy around this particular area or the foot, however, the ClearV(link) and the BBL(link) can be used in this area as an alternative.
Post-treatment we usually recommend that you take a walk for about an hour or so to help things settle in. Your practitioner may also recommend the use of compression stockings in some cases.
