With any injection sclerotherapy treatment, there is always a risk of scarring or skin breakdown at the site of treatment. In addition, treatment with any sclerosing agent incurs a very small risk of infection. Be sure to discuss possible side effects or risks with CRMC before undergoing any treatment for varicose or spider veins.
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VEIN TREATMENTS FOR FACE AND LEGS | ASCLERA & VBEAM
What is sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure administered by your healthcare provider to treat uncomplicated spider veins and uncomplicated reticular veins. The treatment involves the injection of a solution into affected veins.
What are spider veins?
Spider veins are very small, fine, red, or blue veins that are less than 1 mm in diameter. They lie closer to the surface of the skin than varicose veins and may resemble a thin red line, tree branches, or spider patterns. Spider veins can be found on the legs and face and may cover a small or large area.
What are small varicose veins?
Small varicose veins, also known as reticular veins, are small blood vessels that measure between 1 to 3 mm in diameter and are also known as feeder veins. Small varicose veins can enlarge as a result of increased pressure in the vein or from weakened vein valves. You may have only small varicose veins or both small varicose and spider veins at the same time.
What causes spider and reticular veins?
Some factors that may increase your risk of developing them:
- Heredity. If other family members had varicose veins, there’s a greater chance you will too.
- Age. The risk of varicose veins increases with age. Aging causes wear and tear on the valves in your veins that help regulate blood flow. Eventually, this causes the valves to allow some blood to flow back into your veins where it collects instead of flowing up to your heart.
- Gender. Women are more likely to develop the condition. Changes in hormones due to puberty, pregnancy, menopause, or taking birth control pills may increase a woman’s risk of developing varicose veins.
- Pregnancy. During pregnancy, the volume of blood in your body increases. This change supports the growing fetus but also can produce an unfortunate side effect—enlarged veins in your legs. Hormonal changes during pregnancy may also play a role.
- Extra weight or obesity. Carrying extra weight can put additional pressure on the veins. Prolonged standing or sitting may also hinder the healthy flow of blood.
Other possible causes for varicose veins are ethnicity, posture, occupation, hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, primary valvular incompetence, and incompetent perforating veins.
Sclerotherapy with Asclera®
Asclera® (polidocanol) Injection is a prescription medicine that is used in a procedure called sclerotherapy and administered by a healthcare provider to treat two types of veins in your legs.
- Uncomplicated spider veins (very small varicose veins ≤ 1 mm in diameter)
- Uncomplicated small varicose veins (1 to 3 mm in diameter) known as reticular veins
Why should I ask for Asclera® by name?
The Asclera® difference is in the quality and consistency of the medicine. When your provider uses FDA-approved Asclera®, you can be assured that the drug was created using strict quality controls. In addition, Asclera has been studied in patients and has been evaluated for its safety and effectiveness.
Conversely, compounded medications like non-Asclera® polidocanol are not approved by the FDA. They have not been evaluated or verified for safety or effectiveness. In some cases, the drug may have even been created in unsanitary conditions. Recent FDA investigations1 have shown that poor compounding practices can result in serious drug quality problems, such as:
- contamination
- too much or too little of the active ingredient
- additional ingredients that you may not be aware of
Be sure to ask your provider for FDA-approved Asclera® for treatment of your spider veins in your legs.
How does Asclera® work?
Asclera® is a sclerosing agent that is injected into the vein. It works by damaging the endothelium, the inside lining of blood vessels. This causes blood platelets and cellular debris to attach to the lining of the vessels. Eventually, cellular debris and platelets cause the blood vessel to clot. Over time, the clotted vein will be replaced with tissue.
WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR ASCLERA™ TREATMENT?
Most men and women who are experiencing varicose or spider veins are good candidates for injection sclerotherapy treatment. Patients with certain blood conditions or vascular ailments, as well as those taking specific medications may not be suitable candidates. Be sure to discuss any current medical conditions and medications with your specialist before undergoing any vein procedure. In addition, women who are pregnant are not generally considered good candidates for this or other vein sclerosing treatments. Asclera™ should not be used in patients with known allergies to polidocanol (lauromacrogol 400) or any of the other ingredients of Asclera™.
HOW IS THE PROCEDURE PERFORMED?
Before the procedure, CRMC staff will clean the treatment area and may apply a topical anesthetic to numb the injection site. For most men and women, and depending upon the number of sites being treated, the entire procedure takes about 30 to 45 minutes to perform, and is performed in an outpatient setting.
How often do I need treatment to see results?
The number and frequency of treatments depends on the size of the vessels and their location. Ask your provider about an individualized treatment approach that is right for you.
How long is each Asclera® session?
A typical session lasts 15 to 45 minutes. Generally, 1 to 3 injections may be necessary to treat a given spider or reticular vein. Repeat treatment sessions may be necessary. Any additional treatment sessions are usually separated by 1 to 2 weeks.
What should I expect after being treated with Asclera®?
Following treatment, you’ll need to wear compression stockings day and night for 2 to 3 days, then as needed for the following 2 to 3 weeks. Compression stockings are designed to apply pressure to your lower legs, helping to maintain blood flow, and reduce discomfort and swelling. Compression helps your legs heal and is necessary to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
ASCLERA BEFORE AND AFTER
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VBeam
The VBeam laser, often called a vascular laser, is a pulsed dye laser that delivers energy pulses combined with a dye to generate laser beams of various colors. It can be used to treat a variety of skin concerns, including:
- Rosacea
- Broken Capillaries
- Vascular Birthmarks
- Port Wine Stains
- Hyperpigmentation
- and more….
WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THE TREATMENTS?
During VBeam treatment, the color of light used is determined depending on the treatment goal. Different lights are used for treating concerns.
VBeam typically works well on light skin tones and moderately well on olive skin. It is not advised to use on darker skin tones because the transmission of the wavelength is blocked by melanin (pigment) in the pigment-rich skin. Fortunately, we also offer options like peels, microneedling, and other lasers which are ideal for treating darker skin tones. Depending on the area being treated, the procedure may take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour.
VBEAM BEFORE AND AFTER
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schedule a vein treatment consultation
Schedule by phone at 323-650-9949 or fill out the online consultation request
By submitting this form you agree to be contacted via phone/text/email.
schedule a vein treatment consultation
Schedule by phone at 323-650-9949 or
fill out the online consultation request
By submitting this form you agree to be contacted via phone/text/email.