Q: What causes varicose veins?
A: No one knows for sure, but certain families are predisposed, and they are more common in females.Certain factors such as prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, female hormones and pregnancy can worsen the condition.
Q: What is the best treatment?
A: For spider veins and small to medium varicose veins, Sclerotherapy is the ‘gold standard’ of treatment.
Q: What is sclerotherapy?
A: The injection of a medicine into the vessel itself, which causes it to scar shut and disappear.
Q: Does sclerotherapy hurt?
A: It is virtually painless.
Q: Can leg veins be treated with a laser?
A: If the veins are small enough, can be visualized, are close to the skin's surface, and are not being ‘fed’ by a larger vein, they may respond. However, a complete evaluation is necessary to determine whether this is the case or not. Sclerotherapy still remains the "gold standard".