Sclerotherapy – face
RATIONALE:
Dilated blood vessels (“spider veins” or telangiectasia) may be treated with injections of sclerosing solutions e.g. polidocanol. These irritate the inner lining of the blood vessel and cause it to close over. Other treatments for broken blood vessels include laser and intense pulsed light.
RESULTS & POSTOPERATIVE CARE:
- One treatment produces 40–50% improvement in injected veins. Therefore, a course of 2–3 treatments at intervals of 4-8 weeks is usually carried out.
- The area should be treated very gently until bruising resolves.
- Sclerotherapy does not prevent the future development of new spider veins and is commonly repeated every 1–2 years.
RISKS & COMPLICATIONS:
- Immediately after treatment, small weals will form along the injected blood vessels.
- There will be some bruising for about one week after the sclerotherapy.
- Some veins, particularly those on the alae of the nose, are more resistant to all forms of treatment.
- Rare side effects include allergy (at the injection site or elsewhere in the body); ulceration and scarring; and deep venous thrombosis (a clot in the deep veins).
PREGNANCY:
You cannot be pregnant while receiving this treatment.
PAYMENT:
This procedure is cosmetic and payment is the responsibility of the patient. No healthfund rebate is applicable.