Sclerotherapy Q&A
58%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers
that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not.
See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings
or Add Your Review
View Before and Afters
Average Sclerotherapy Cost: $375
Learn about Sclerotherapy
135 people and 116 doctors are talking about Sclerotherapy
Get Free Email Updates
How Soon Should I See Results After Sclerotherapy?
asked 3 years ago by Nanda
Latest answer by Donna Bilu Martin, MD
Question viewed 7,570 times
Tags: spider veins
I would like to know how fast will I see results after the Sclerotherapy procedure and after laser treatment? Which among the two is more effective?
8 answers to How Soon Should I See Results After Sclerotherapy?
+3
Sclerotherapy is a much better leg vein removal option than laser treatments
Laser and dermatologic surgeons have been trying to develop lasers to treat leg veins for over 25 years. Lasers sound scientific and sexy but they have never and will never replace or improve upon the results of properly performed sclerotherapy.
Yes, sclerotherapy uses a needle and injects a medicine into the vein. But the newer FDA-approved solutions like Sotradecol™ and Asclera™ are virtually painless and the needles used at the size of a hair. Lasers are VERY expensive and...
more
Mitchel Goldman, MD
San Diego Dermatologic Surgeon
San Diego Dermatologic Surgeon
+2
Sclero beats laser
Sclerotherapy is more effective than laser treatments. Generally, it can take 2-3 treatments about a month apart for best results, but patients often see a big improvement after the first treatment. Solutions like Asclera make the procedure very well tolerated and virtually painless.
Donna Bilu Martin, MD
Miami Beach Dermatologist
Miami Beach Dermatologist
+2
Results
In my practice it typically takes between 3-5 sessions to see results.
compression stockings are important in the post operative period to help collapse the veins.
+1
Sclerotherapy is the better treatment
Improvement from sclerotherapy may be as soon as 1-2 months after treatment, but it may take longer even up to 6 months or more. Most experts in treatment of varicose venuels, spider veins and other unwanted thigh and leg vessels generally agree that sclerotherapy (injection of the veins with a solution that causes the vessel walls to be become irritated and ultimately stick together not allowing blood to pass through them) is the superior technique.
They agree that laser treatment...
more
Peter Goldman, MD
Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon
Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon
+1
Sclerotherapy vs Lasers
I believe that sclerotherapy is still the gold standard for treatment of leg veins.
In my office, we use lasers to treat smaller facial veins.
Treated veins take on a darker color after treatment which fades very slowly over several months so it's hard to see the improvement at first. Even after a few months there may still be "shadows" in the skin outlining the treated veins that continue to fade and may take 6 months to a year to fully resolve.
+1
Sclerotherapy Remains The Treatment of Choice For Spider Leg Veins
Despite the advent of lasers, sclerotherapy, or the injection of a sclerosing solution to close off unwanted and superfluous spider veins on the legs, is still considered the method of choice. The appearance of one new laser after another, each one supposedly superceding the previous type, is implicit testimony to the fact that laser technology in this (as in many other skin treatment) has hardly been perfected yet
On the other hand, sclerotherapy has stood the test of time, with...
more
+1
Sclerotherapy results at 3-4 weeks
Usually it takes about 3-4 weeks after the treatment to see the results. It is recommended to wear compression stockings immediately after the sclerotherapy and continue for at least 3 weeks. During the follow up visit the physician will suggest if additional injections are necessary. Some patient choose to have the sclerotherapy done during the fall and winter months only because of the necessity to wear the compression stockings.
Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1
Sclerotherapy Gold Standard
When practiced my an experienced physician sclerotherapy is superior. This is a very technique dependent process with a fairly steep learning curve to do it well. In sclerotherapy the needle is injected into the appropriate sites and the sclerosant is injected. It travels into the intended vessels, irritates them and then gradually the body gets rid of them. This process takes weeks; usually about a month, and sometimes two months.
This is why we advise our sclero patients to come in...
more
Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Virginia Beach Dermatologist
Virginia Beach Dermatologist