SCLEROTHERAPY FOR THE FACE TREATMENT

The face is one of the first areas of the body that other people notice and form a first impression about a person. The face can show health, vitality, confidence and other characteristics that contribute to a positive first impression. However, the face can have different aesthetic issues that a patient can’t control and that contribute to a negative impression. These imperfections can seriously diminish a person’s self-confidence as the face may look unhealthy and unattractive.

One of the aesthetically unattractive facial imperfections is facial veins that are known as spider veins, broken capillaries, facial telangiectasia or rosacea. These facial veins can look like small red or purple threads on the patient’s cheek or nose, or like large blue veins that typically appear on the temples around the eyes or nasolabial folds.

Spider veins are dilated veins and appear very close to the surface of the skin. These veins can form in a group and therefore like like a spider web or branches. They appear because of weak vein valves that remain close and therefore stop the blood flow. Because of this, the vein gets filled with blood and swells.

Spider veins can be painful apart from being an aesthetic problem. They don’t have to present a severe health problem but it’s always better to examine them by a specialist and if necessary remove them.

Procedure info at a glance

Is it painful?
Is there any downtime?
How many sessions are needed?
How long does the procedure take?
When can I see the results?
How often should I do it?

How It Works

WHAT IS SCLEROTHERAPY TREATMENT FOR THE FACE?

Sclerotherapy for the face is a simple and minimally invasive treatment that removes veins that appeared on the face. It involves injecting a sclerosant solution directly into the problematic vein. The vein starts to shrink and eventually dissolves. The patient’s body then simply reabsorbs the vein and the vein completely disappears from the surface of the skin.

Sclerotherapy works the best for large blue veins, but it can be also effective on smaller veins. It is an advanced treatment and with better-polarized lenses and magnification and even finer needles, it can resolve the smaller facial veins without too much damaging of the surrounding tissue.

BENEFITS OF THE SCLEROTHERAPY FOR THE FACE TREATMENT

Once the unattractive spider veins disappear from the patient’s face, he/she feels more confident again and enjoys clear skin.

The treatment is straightforward, fast and doesn’t require a long recovery. The patients can continue with their everyday activities straight after the procedure.

It is safe as the injected solution has been FDA-approved.

Sclerotherapy treatment is very precise as the needles are very fine and can treat even the smallest veins on the face. It doesn’t cause severe side effects, only mild redness, swelling and bruising that resolves quite quickly.

Sclerotherapy is a great solution for a patient who wishes to avoid surgical intervention and longer recovery.

Lucia Clinic’s vascular doctor is highly experienced in treating problematic veins and has years of experience in helping his patients eliminate facial spider veins for good. His main goal is to give his best in clearing the unsightly veins from his patient’s faces.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

  • WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SCLEROTHERAPY FOR THE FACE TREATMENT?

    Most patients can have this treatment without any major risks. It can clear varicosities completely or improve the appearance of the problematic veins by 50 to 90%. There is a minimal risk that the condition of the veins might get worse after the treatment in the form of tiny red blood vessels that appear close to the injection sites. But this condition is quickly dissolved because the majority of these vessels will disappear alone and the rest will disappear with further treatment sessions. It must be pointed out that this unwanted vein condition after this treatment rarely happens.

    The treatment can’t be performed during pregnancy, so pregnant ladies are not good candidates for sclerotherapy. Also, patients who have active infections on their faces should avoid this treatment.

  • WHAT DOES SCLEROTHERAPY FOR THE FACE TREATMENT INVOLVE?

    The first step in vein treatment with sclerotherapy is a consultation with a doctor (vascular surgeon). The doctor discusses with the patient about the patient’s medical history, medications that the patient is taking, allergies or history of heart and other illnesses. The doctor also asks the patient about previous vein treatments. It is very important that the patient is fully open with the doctor to avoid any unwanted side effects.

    The doctor then carefully examines the patient's problematic veins and decides if sclerotherapy is the right treatment for the patient’s specific needs and expectations. If yes, then the doctor creates a customized treatment plan according to the size of the veins in question and their location.

    Lucia Clinic’s doctors are fully dedicated to helping their patients with vein problems and have years of experience in that field. They also use the most advanced and safest methods in treating problematic veins.

  • BEFORE THE SCLEROTHERAPY TREATMENT

    The doctor may advise the patient to stop using aspirin or other blood-thinning medications for a week before the scheduled appointment. These medications can contribute to more severe bruising after the treatment. Also, it is important for the patient to mention if he/she is taking any hormone supplements, as some of them might make the recovery period longer.

    On the day of the treatment, the patient should come without any makeup or creams on his/her face. It is not important if the patient is tanned.

  • THE SCLEROTHERAPY TREATMENT

    Sclerotherapy for the face is a very simple procedure. The doctor injects the solution into the problematic area of the patient’s face, previously determined on the consultations. Once the injecting is over, the doctor examines the patient’s injection sites to make sure that there are no unwanted side effects. Once the examination is finished the patient can go home.

    The procedure is mildly uncomfortable and patients usually describe it as a mosquito bite or pinprick when the doctor starts injecting the solution.

    Since this treatment is minimally invasive, there is minimal to no downtime required. The patient can resume his/her daily routine right away.

    The procedure can last between 15 minutes and one hour - all depending on the size of the targeted area or more precisely the number of veins that need to be treated.

  • ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS AFTER THE TREATMENT?

    The patient may experience redness along the blood vessels that were injected with the solution. Also, the treated area may get swollen and or bruised. In some cases, the bruising can last for a week after the treatment. In rare cases, the patient may get an allergic reaction at the injection sites.

  • WHAT DOES POST-CARE INCLUDE?

    After the treatment, the doctor advises the patient to avoid extensive sun exposure to let the skin heal. If it is absolutely necessary to expose to the sun, the patient must wear a high SPF. Also, it is recommended to avoid hot showers, saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms because the heat causes the veins to dilate or become larger and the treatment purpose is to make them smaller. The patient should also avoid strenuous exercise for a few days after the treatment.

    Regarding bruising, the patient can apply makeup to cover it if necessary. The patient should treat the bruised area very gently until it is resolved.

    It is important that the patient follows the doctor’s recommendations in order to speed up the recovery period.

  • HOW MANY SCLEROTHERAPY TREATMENT SESSIONS ARE NECESSARY?

    The number of sessions is different for every patient. It depends on the number of veins that need to be treated, how fast the patient heals and what are the patient’s expectations from the treatment.

    Usually, it is recommended to have 2 to 3 treatment sessions in order to completely shrink the vein. Each session should be 3 to 4 weeks spaced out because the patient’s skin needs some time to heal from the previous session.

    Some facial veins, for example in the area around the nose, need more treatment sessions, because they tend to be more resistant to the procedure.

  • SCLEROTHERAPY FOR THE FACE TREATMENT RESULTS

    After the first treatment session, the targeted facial veins can be improved by 45 to 50%. The veins that have been treated should disappear after a few weeks or in some cases a month. The results include clear skin after the smallest spider vein fades away completely.

    Sclerotherapy is very effective in treating the visible spider or varicose veins but it doesn’t prevent the appearance of new veins. Therefore it is recommended to have touch-up treatments usually once in 2 years.