That’s no way to live in steamy Gainesville where the pool, springs, or Daytona Beach trips are lifesavers during a hot summer day.
That’s why you need to give Dr. Gaines a call and have him show your spider veins who’s the boss with sclerotherapy.
What are spider veins?
Spider veins are those clusters of red, purple, or blue tiny blood vessels just beneath the surface of your skin. They form as we age and the veins that route our de-oxygenated blood back to the heart and lungs aren’t as firm as they once were. Granted, they have to fight an uphill battle with gravity the entire way, but the vein walls can become weaker, allowing blood to pool. Also, our support tissues are entrusted to help the veins push the blood, but they also lose some of their strength as we age.
The result is the formation of spider veins. They are different than varicose veins, which bulge upward through the surface skin. Varicose veins can be quite painful, and they are much larger. Spider veins usually don’t involve pain, except when you look down at your legs and you see them!
What is sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a simple, minimally invasive solution for spider veins. It involves Dr. Gaines taking a very fine needle filled with a sclerosant solution (usually mostly saline). The sclerosant is injected directly into or next to the spider vein, and the solution irritates the walls of the vein. This causes it to close off. Any blood that was running through the vein is instantly redirected to a healthier adjacent vein. The spider vein is instantly lessened in appearance. Then the body goes about the business of scavenging and removing the vein over the course of the next few weeks. Eventually it will be gone.
March is a good time
To get your legs ready for all the fun times to be had in shorts and swimsuits this summer, now is a great time to take care of your spider veins. Call us at Gaines Plastic Surgery, (352) 333-9600, to schedule your appointment for sclerotherapy.