Microsclerotherapy

Thread Vein & Spider Vein Treatment

Spider and thread veins are small, unsightly, superficial veins usually found in clusters on the legs. Over half of adults will have thread and spider veins at some point in their lives. while they can be a purely cosmetic concern, they are frequently associated with symptoms of aching, burning, itching, throbbing and cramps.
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For women, these symptoms are often worse at certain times of the menstrual cycle. In addition, thread veins may indicate an abnormality of the venous system, which may require further investigation. Microsclerotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for thread and spider veins which has been practised for many years. 

How leg veins work and why might they fail?

The veins in the legs must return blood from the feet to the heart against gravity. There are two vein systems in the legs. The deep system lies within the muscles in your legs and carries 95% of the blood being returned to the heart. As the muscles in your legs contract, these veins are squeezed, forcing blood up them; valves attached to the vein walls close to prevent blood from falling back down the veins when the muscles relax. The second system is in the skin, not supported by muscles. As blood moves up the deep system, it is drawn from the superficial veins into the deep system.

Where varicose veins and sometimes thread veins develop, the valves in the veins fail to work correctly, allowing blood to flow back on itself and increasing the pressure in the vein system. This is called reflux. The deep veins cannot stretch because they are supported by muscle. The veins in the skin do stretch, leading to a cycle of poorly functioning varicose veins, since as they stretch, their valves do not meet to close. To achieve good results with sclerotherapy, we must ensure your veins are not caused by reflux. If you have reflux, treating the refluxing veins first is better.

What are the causes of thread and spider veins?

Venous disorders result from a congenital weakness of the vein walls, which leads to vein dilatation and valvular incompetence. In contrast, secondary venous disorders result from a drainage disorder in the deep vein system, mostly following thrombosis with damage to the deep veins and their valves. If the deep veins are blocked, the varicose veins may form an important channel for venous return.

What are the risk factors for developing thread and spider veins?

  • Familial/Heredity
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Pregnancy
  • Oestrogen
  • Obesity
  • Standing professions
  • Lack of exercise
  • Sclerotherapy
  • Trauma
  • Surgery
  • Topical steroids
  • Sun exposure
 

The cause of thread veins and varicose veins is not clearly defined. Vein walls are made of collagen and will deteriorate with age. It is not disputed that heredity has a strong role, and indeed, there is a link between hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause. Studies have shown that 50% of the population will develop CEAP 1 and 2 veins with the incidence being greater the older we get.

Why might we not able able to treat your veins?

The following are contraindications for the treatment of veins:

  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding mothers.
  • Generalized systemic diseases such as cardiac, renal, hepatic, pulmonary and collagen
  • diseases and malignancies.
  • Severe rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis or indeed any disease which significantly
  • interferes with the patient’s mobility and which may render the patient susceptible to
  • deep vein thrombosis.
  • History of deep vein thrombosis.
  • Acute febrile illness.
  • System anticoagulation.
  • Allergy to sclerosing agents or any other constituent of the solution.
  • Severe atopy, such as bronchial asthma and severe skin eczematous conditions.
  • Severe Lymphoedema.
  • Thrombophilia clotting disorders.
  • Immunodeficiency or use of immuno-suppressants such as steroids.
  • Recurrent cellulitis.
  • Upcoming Long-haul flights.

What other treatments are available for veins?

Alongside microsclerotherapy offered by our doctors, our therapy team perform laser treatments for veins using the Cutera Excel V+.