Frequently Asked Questions

What are Thread veins?
Thread veins, or telangiectasias are enlarged red or blue blood vessels in the skin surface. They are very common, vary in size and extent and usually affect the outer thigh and inner knee areas although they can arise anywhere including the face. They often look like bruising and cause adverse comment. They are an inherited condition but can also follow deep bruising after trauma or surgery. They can look worse in pregnancy and may disappear afterwards. They are often associated with varicose veins. These need dealing with first or treating the thread veins may make them worse.

How are they treated ?
Injection sclerotherapy of these tiny vessels has been shown to the most successful treatment. A dilute irritant solution is injected using a very fine needle. This damages the vessel lining causing it to close off. The body treats this as damaged tissue which is slowly absorbed over about three months. Sometimes all the thread veins disappear. An improvement of 80-90 % is more usual.

How successful is Sclerotherapy?
The injections are almost painless and all the thread veins can usually be treated in one half hour session. They look worse to begin with and large vessels may go black. Fading starts after three weeks and it will be three months before the main benefit is seen and improvement continues for a year. For this reason it is a good idea to plan treatment some time before your holiday. The treatment will last for several years but other thread veins will often develop over time.

Are there any complications?
Great care is needed when injecting, especially very small veins as the solution can damage the overlying skin. Large veins may leave a faint brown mark which will fade over a year but is easily concealed with a light tan or stockings. An allergic reaction to the solution is very rare, occurring in about one person in 100 000. It can cause a drop in blood pressure as well as a general reaction.

What should I do before treatment?
Please avoid aspirin, vitamin E and Aloe Vera preparations for at least 10 days. If you also suffer from varicose veins you will need these assessed by Doppler ultrasound before your treatment can be planned.

What happens afterwards?
Cotton wool will be taped over the injection sites but can be removed the same evening. You will be given a pair of support stockings which should be worn for three days and nights. You might want to wear trousers to cover these. For this reason sclerotherapy is best avoided in hot weather. You will be able to return to normal activities and driving immediately afterwards. However, please avoid hot baths or vigorous physical activity for about a week to allow the thread veins to close off.