Getting older stinks. Who cares if you’re supposedly wiser if your legs have a superhighway network of blue, purple, and red lines running around just below the skin? Here’s what you need to know about Sclerotherapy.
Spider veins are the small blood vessels that show themselves just below the skin’s surface on the legs and face. Up to 40% of women have spider veins on their legs. Fortunately, Profile MD can come to the rescue and banish those spider veins for good.
What are Spider Veins (Sclerotherapy)?
Contrary to popular opinion, a spider vein is not one of those coursing through Peter Parker of Spiderman comic fame. It is the job of the veins to return the blood to the heart to replenish its oxygen. That’s why the blood in veins is blue or purple, while the blood in the arteries is bright red. Because veins are often going against gravity, up the legs, for instance, they have valves that keep the blood from reversing direction. Sometimes these valves don’t function correctly and the blood is allowed to pool slightly in a vein. This creates a spider vein, and since they are close to the surface of the skin, their purple/blue/red color makes them very visible.
Why do people develop spider veins?
There are a variety of factors that contribute to a person developing spider veins, although simple aging is one of the main factors:
- Heredity
- Obesity
- Use of birth control pills
- Occupations that require a good deal of standingHormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, puberty, and menopause
- Hormone replacement therapy
- A history of blood clots
- Tight clothing around the abdomen
- Constipation
The Way we Treat Spider Veins (Sclerotherapy)
The standard approach to treating spider veins hasn’t changed since the 1930s. Salt solution is injected directly into the targeted spider vein. This “sclerosing” solution irritates the lining of the veins, causing them to close off and turn into scar tissue. This eventually fades away and the vein is no longer visible. The procedure is fast, but usually requires from two to four treatments to remove the veins you seek to eliminate. And once they’re gone, you’ll be thrilled how your legs look in shorts or a bathing suit once again.
Schedule a consultation
You don’t have to have arachnophobia to fear spider veins! Call us at Profile MD, 410-544-4600, and let’s get rid of them.
