fbpx

Spider (Vein) Extermination: results are in!

I made a promise to my readers. I guess I need to deliver on it. But it has to do with spider…veins.

The idea of spiders in my veins fills me with shivers of icy dread. No, anything but spiders. So creepy and crawly and hairy and AH!

But spider veins aren’t crawly or hairy at all. Creepy? Yes. And they make my skin appear crepey, as well.

This summer, I purchased a discount coupon for three injectable treatment sessions. The last week of July, I had my first appointment. You can read about it here.

Two other appointments followed at four-week intervals. When I had my final treatment in September, the doctor advised that I should wait two or three months before determining if I was pleased with the results.

The three-month marker has arrived.

Before and After Photos

Left Ankle: Before the First Treatment
Left Ankle: Before the First Treatment

Left ankle four months after two treatments
Left ankle four months after two treatments

 

Right ankle three months after three treatments
Right ankle three months after three treatments
Right ankle before the treatments
Right ankle before the treatments

My Results

My results are mixed.

The area of the worst spider (vein) infestation remains an unsightly mess of blue webbing. (Blue because that is un-oxygenated blood pooling in those areas.)

However, my other ankle responded favorably. No, the veins didn’t disappear completely, but they’re much less pronounced. I’m hoping a good tan will disguise them completely.

Obviously, I can’t give a glowing report touting the wonders of sclerotherapy.

You won’t hear me condemning it either.

In some cases, this may be the most affordable course of action. In other cases, you should spend the money on something else.

My Recommendation

Given the price and level of inconvenience, including pain and after-effects, of sclerotherapy, I do have a recommendation.

It’s worth a try. At least two of the areas I had treated look like successes.

However, if you have an over-saturated area (like my left ankle), this might not be the pathway toward beautification. Since I have a hideous varicose vein in that leg, that was an added complication (which I wrote about here).

The rate of $100 per treatment seems slightly steep to me, since the appointments last twenty minutes and the vial of solution this buys is minuscule. The $90 per treatment “deal” I got by packaging three treatments with the coupon was a 55 percent savings over the usual price.

Needless to say, I’m tight with my money. I would never have tried this procedure at $600 for three treatments.

I also feel sclerotherapy would have been more helpful if I didn’t wait until my veins had ten years to create webs and settle in.

If you have the money and your veins are a fairly new addition to your legs’ landscape, give this treatment plan a try.

What do you think? Add to the discussion here.