What you should do before micro-sclerotherapy

Points to note before treatment

• Spider veins can be removed, but the hereditary connective tissue weakness, i.e. the life-long tendency to develop spider veins, cannot be cured. Even when spider veins have been successfully eliminated, new ones may appear at a later date making further treatment necessary. There is therefore no treatment that can make spider veins disappear once and for all. No matter how successful the treatment is, no doctor can guarantee that you will never have any spider veins again.
• There is no treatment that makes spider veins disappear from one day to the next. For the best therapeutic results, you may have to go for several treatment sessions. The effects are also not obvious immediately after treatment – it may be several weeks before your body has broken down the diseased veins and the final results can be seen.
• You can, in principle, have treatment at any time of the year, but many find it uncomfortable to wear compression stockings in the heat of summer. And as you have to avoid sunbathing for some time after treatment, it is preferable that the summer holiday season is already over before starting treatment. Most people are therefore treated between October and May, so that the results can be seen by the time the swimsuit season starts in the summer.
• It is best not to start treatment just before going away on holiday; treatment sessions should be completed not less than 2-3 weeks before going on a longer trip.
• As a rule, spider veins and reticular varicose veins are considered to be a purely aesthetic problem, as they usually do not cause much trouble in the way of symptoms, if any at all. In most countries, treatment is therefore not considered a reimbursable service covered by the statutory health insurance. Doctors usually offer cosmetic treatment of this nature as an individual healthcare service, which basically means you will have to pay for it yourself. Injections for wrinkles are another example of an individual healthcare service. As spider veins differ greatly in their size, severity, and extent, only the treating physician can realistically assess the costs you are likely to face. Get your doctor to draw up a treatment plan before you start; in many cases, costs are between 50 EUR and 120 EUR per session.
• As a rule, you must wear compression stockings for a week or two after treatment. Discuss with your doctor when and how to get your compression stockings.

When is sclerotherapy not possible?

You must not have sclerotherapy

• if you are allergic to polidocanol (lauromacrogol 400) or any other component of the sclerosant.
• if you are currently suffering from a severe systemic disease (for example, acute leukaemia or acute liver insufficiency).
• if you have severe peripheral arterial occlusive disease (a disorder of the arterial circulation in the legs).
• if you have a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
• if you have a high risk of thrombosis. This is, for example, the case if you have a known, inherited tendency to thrombosis (thrombophilia) or if you have to lie in bed with a plaster cast for a long time after an injury.

Your doctor will discuss any other illnesses that may have to be considered.

If there is any possibility that you could be pregnant at the present time, you must tell your doctor about this without fail before starting treatment.

On the day of treatment

• You should be aware that some doctors take photos of the area to be treated for your medical records.
• If you are acutely ill on the day of treatment and/or have an infection associated with fever, call your doctor and ask whether the treatment session should be postponed.
• Do not plan any other procedures for the same day, but rather concentrate entirely on the treatment of your spider veins.
• It is better not to shave your legs on the day of treatment, as the skin disinfectant used prior to the injections may sting.
• Do not apply any moisturizer on the area to be treated.
• You do not need to have an empty stomach – in fact, you should have a light meal about an hour before treatment, in order to boost your circulation.