Thread veins mostly affect the face, body and legs and are extremely common. The causes are unknown although they may be caused by changes in temperature, smoking, hormonal changes, alcohol, prolonged standing and maybe an inherited condition.

Sclerotherapy is a simple procedure where a dilute irritant solution is injected into the vein 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 3 months. It is import ant to realise this treatment does not prevent new veins from emerging and it may be necessary for touch-up treatments if a new vein emerges. It is a virtually painless treatment performed under local anaesthetic.

The procedure takes around 30-60 minutes and no recovery time is needed, so normal activity can be undertaken immediately afterwards.

Sclerotherapy is a permanent solution for the areas treated but does not prevent new problem areas from appearing.

An allergic reaction to the solution is very rare, occuring in about 1 person in 100,000. When injecting larger veins, there may be a faint brown mark which will fade over a year and is easily concealed with a light tan or stockings.

This treatment costs £200 per session however this may alter due to the size of the area.

Click here for a summary of the procedure, details and fees.