Our NYC and Brooklyn Dermatology Offices offer this safe and effective treatment that eliminates unsightly spider and varicose veins to give your hands and legs an even, more youthful appearance. In this simple procedure, veins less than 2mm wide are injected with a glycerin-based sclerosing solution that causes them to collapse and fade from view.
The procedure may also remedy the bothersome symptoms associated with spider veins, including:
• Aching
• Burning
• Swelling
• Night cramps
Our NYC Dermatologists recommend multiple treatments (average 4) spaced 3 weeks apart for a long-lasting result, but you’ll notice progress after your first session. The main advantage of glycerin is that it rarely causes post-treatment hyperpigmentation or tissue death if the solution escapes the vessel being treated. There is no skin testing required and anesthesia is topical only.
The treatment is combined with compression stockings that we’ll ask you to wear for 8-12 hours/day for 2 weeks following each treatment session by the dermatologist. These are designed to keep the treated vein compressed, so that it does not refill too quickly and wash away the glycerin we’ve injected. Glycerin is a biologically inert material used in a number of food and over-the-counter skin products, but when injected inside a small vein, it causes that vein to spasm and collapse. Don’t worry; there are plenty of veins deep in the leg that serve the important function of returning blood back up to the heart. This effective dermatologic procedure may involve minimal bruising and swelling and all our patients go straight back to work!