The Procedure

Microsclerotherapy is performed in the consulting room. No local anaesthetic is required as the injecting needle is tiny and causes minimal discomfort. The procedure approximately 30 minutes, during which time several sites will be treated.
Each injection point is covered by a cotton wool ball held in place by surgical tape. At the end of the procedure the leg is bandaged from the foot upwards, so you are advised to wear loose fitting shoes. At the end of the procedure you may drive immediately.

Your consultant will advise you at your first consultation how many sessions of microsclerotherapy will be required to treat your thread veins. Sessions can be booked weekly if required.

Care and progress after discharge

The bandage is worn for 24 hours after each session, after which time it should be removed. Normal activity can be resumed immediately, but you should avoid strenuous activity such as jogging on the day following treatment.
There is no need to avoid exposure of the skin to sunlight after microsclerotherapy.

There are no restrictions on air travel following this treatment.

It is normal for the treated area to darken and look bruised as clotted blood is darker than normal blood. The bruising should fade over 6 – 12 weeks, although this may vary.
On average this technique can get rid of about 80% of thread veins in a treated area, although unfortunately there is nothing we know of that will stop further thread veins forming.

Complications following Microsclerotherapy

There are no systemic effects of microsclerotherapy on the rest of the body. This is purely a local skin treatment.

Because blood contains a lot of iron, as the blood clot in the treated thread vein is broken down by the body, some of this iron pigment can be deposited into the skin.
Approximately 10 – 15% of patients will notice a pale brown mark at the site of the original thread vein in some areas. Most patients do not consider this as cosmetically unacceptable as a thread vein, and 90% of these brown marks will fade completely within 12 months.

A rare complication (1 in 500 injections) is a small sore or break in the skin at the site of injection. This results from a small amount of the irritant liquid leaking into the skin. This area will heal over a few weeks but will tend to leave a small white mark on the skin.