What Is a Sclerotherapy Vein Treatment?

The purpose of sclerotherapy is to close malfunctioning veins so that blood flows efficiently back to your heart, rather than collecting in your veins. It improves your appearance, as well as your circulation, since the treated veins shrink from sight. Vein damage often stems from broken valves within your veins. By closing off these faulty pathways, we prevent blood from collecting in the vein, eliminating the formation of varicose and spider veins.

This quick and gentle procedure begins with our doctors elevating your affected leg and cleansing the injection site. We then inject a sclerosant into the vein to intentionally damage the venous walls, causing them to swell and stick together. As the blood clots inside the irritated vein, the vein collapses, causing blood to flow into other veins that can transport it to the heart. Over time, the treated vein becomes scar tissue that fades until no longer visible.

A sclerotherapy session in our California vein treatment center takes about 10 minutes for small spider veins. Larger varicose veins might take up to 30 minutes. After treatment, our doctors apply gentle pressure to the treated area to prevent blood from pooling in the vein as you stand. We recommend compression stockings for a few days after treatment to assist in restoring proper circulation.