Roughly half of adult women will deal with spider veins at some point: those small clusters of red, blue or purple veins on the legs and ankles. Family history, pregnancy and hormonal changes, weight gain, prolonged standing and certain medications all contribute.

There are two treatments available at Valley Medical, and they can be used separately or together.

Sclerotherapy

A liquid agent is injected through a needle directly into the vein, making it shrink and disappear. Because the needle has to fit inside the vessel, this works best on medium to larger veins.

What to expect:

  • Each session typically produces about a 50% improvement, so plan for more than one.
  • You will wear compression stockings for fourteen days afterward. This is not optional: it is part of what makes the treatment work.
  • For two to three days afterward, avoid exercise, hot baths and alcohol.

elōs™ laser treatment

Laser treatment uses combined bi-polar radio frequency and light energies to target the vein, causing it to coagulate and shrink. There is no needle going into the vessel, so it reaches the very fine veins that sclerotherapy cannot.

What to expect:

  • Visible improvement can occur after just one session; most people need one to three, depending on how extensive and how deep the veins are.
  • No downtime, and no compression stockings needed afterward.
  • It may be uncomfortable for some patients, which is managed with external cooling or a topical anesthetic.

So which one?

In practice this is less of a choice than it sounds. The size, depth and distribution of your veins decide it, and many patients do best with a combination: sclerotherapy for the larger feeders, laser for the fine surface work.

The two-week compression requirement after sclerotherapy is worth factoring into your timing. It is one reason winter is a popular season for vein treatment: stockings are far more comfortable, and easier to conceal, in cooler weather.

Is this just cosmetic?

Not always. Spider veins can be purely a cosmetic concern, but they can also sit alongside chronic venous disease, where weakened leg veins allow blood to pool and cause aching, swelling, skin changes and in some cases ulceration. That is why an assessment comes before treatment.

Booking a consultation at Valley Medical takes one phone call: 902-678-2121, or email hello@vmedical.ca. We see patients in Kentville, NS and by appointment in Summerside, PE.

More about spider veins and how they are treated