Sclerotherapy Vein Treatment in New York

The sclerotherapy procedure can take between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on how many veins we need to treat and what conditions those veins are in. Most people can receive treatment during their lunch break and return to their day right after the procedure.

We have a treatment center in Inwood, New York. You can find us at 4915 Broadway Suite 1A, NY, 10034, conveniently near the 207 St. metropolitan station and bus stop. 

We also have a Corona, Queens center, located at 37-73 103rd St, Corona, NY, 11368.

Our sclerotherapy procedures use extremely thin needles, so patients do not require anesthesia. There can be some mild discomfort as the solution enters the targeted vein and the sclerosant is mixed with a local anesthetic, so numbing occurs immediately with the injection.

Sclerotherapy is a skill that is taught to many medical specialties during training. Vascular doctors, Dermatologists, and generalists can acquire the basic skills to perform the procedure. However, as in most skills, experience is key. Search for a medical provider with the most experience to achieve the fastest and best results. Here at the Metropolitan Vein and Aesthetic Center, we have performed sclerotherapy on over 20,000 patients and treated the legs, face, and torso.

Sclerotherapy is a safe procedure, but some people may experience some side effects. These can include:

• Swelling at the site
• Burning at the site
• Night cramps
• Bruising at the site
• Skin discoloration
• Itchiness 

The most common side effect is “staining,” which occurs when the successfully treated vein leaks small amounts of red blood cells, giving the skin a reddish, bruised appearance.

You may also experience matting, which refers to a pink and bluish tint to the skin that can occur after the procedure. It is harmless. It happens if microscopic blood vessels form in a dense network after a sclerotherapy session. However, at times, the matting may need to be reinjected to eliminate the new blood vessels, called neovascularization, which your body has developed in response to eliminating the spider veins that existed before and is an attempt to replace them with new growth. An additional treatment can often eliminate these new vessels if they do not regress on their own.

You might also get brown spots, which are small discoloration areas at the needle’s insertion site. They occur when hemoglobin settles in subcutaneous tissue. People with darker skin can be more prone to developing these spots.

These side effects fade on their own, some in weeks, with others taking up to twelve or more months to finally disappear.

In even rarer instances, there can be more serious complications, like ulcerations on the skin. They occur when the medication used for the sclerotherapy procedure damages the small arteries near the skin or damages the skin itself. The skin does heal, but it can take months. In this instance, again, experience is the key to avoiding this more painful and persistent complication. Technique and the choice of sclerosant are key to preventing ulceration. At the Metropolitan Vein and Aesthetic Center, thousands and thousands of patients have not experienced this complication due to meticulous technique and experience. So, it is important to choose a provider carefully to avoid complications and achieve the best results.

The results of sclerotherapy performed on small spider veins can take from three to six weeks to appear. Larger veins can take three to six months. Remember that you may need more than one treatment session.

Although sclerotherapy is most commonly used on the legs, it can work on most areas of the body as long as the veins are not very large. We will always assess the area to ensure sclerotherapy is the best option.

Some people only need one or two sclerotherapy sessions to start seeing results, but others can need up to four treatment sessions. We can recommend how many treatments you may need during your consultation with us.

To prepare for a sclerotherapy procedure, you need to avoid taking blood thinning and anti-inflammatory medications or supplements, including:

• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen 
• Vitamin E
• St. John’s Wort
• Fish oil

You may also need to avoid certain antibiotics. 

At least 24 hours before your appointment, stop shaving the treatment area. Shaving can irritate the skin. You also want to avoid putting lotions on other products on the area.

Compression stockings are recommended during recovery, so plan on their use after the procedure.

It is helpful to walk as you recover from the sclerotherapy procedure. In fact, you are able to resume all normal activities, including driving yourself home immediately after the procedure. You should, however, avoid exercise, immersing directly in water such as swimming, hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms for three days after, as the skin will be inflamed and irritated and more prone for bacteria to enter. Therefore, activities that will cause excessive sweating or allow water to enter should be avoided meticulously after the procedure. Showering and the use of running water and soap are encouraged as they will avoid the chance of secondary infection. Also, lotions or moisturizers should be avoided the immediate day after the procedure but may be used without consequence.

Wearing compression stockings for one but up to four weeks after the injections is recommended. Showering and the use of soap will help the healing process, as well as a moisturizer after the first twenty-four hours if the skin is noticeably dry or irritated. Strict avoidance of direct exposure to sunlight, including tanning beds, is strongly recommended, as tanning the skin during the healing phase can cause discoloration, which can become permanent. Therefore, covering the affected area or judicious use of sunblock if sun exposure is unavoidable is strongly recommended.

Laser treatment is not as effective as sclerotherapy on spider veins. It will take longer to treat an area and is generally more painful. With a laser, the entire length of the vein must be treated individually. Versus sclerotherapy can often treat an entire individual vein and entire areas of the vein with one longer injection as they are networked together. The longer injection is painless as the sclerosant is always mixed with local anesthetic. This is opposed to a laser, which must treat each vein separately, and therefore, the overall procedure is more painful and usually less effective.

The cost of a sclerotherapy session can depend on many factors, including the vein size, how much solution we have to use to treat it, and even its location. Costs can be anywhere from $250 to $900. During our first consultation, we will discuss the exact costs you can expect per session and the number of sessions you may need.

In most cases, insurance does not cover sclerotherapy, which considers the treatment as cosmetic. Check with your insurance provider for details.