Do you find yourself tucking your hands into your pockets when you meet someone new? Prominent veins on your hands are one sign of aging. Lumpy veins on the surface of the skin are bothersome to some people and even erode their self-confidence. Fortunately, a vein doctor can help.
How Vascular Surgeons Treat Aging Hands
Like the face, hands develop wrinkles, and pigmentation changes as the years pass. During aging, they also lose volume, exposing tendons and veins. Sometimes the result is very large, bulging veins, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Unsightly veins on the back of the hand are merely a cosmetic problem that vein treatment can resolve. The most visible hand vessels don’t even have a role in the work of the circulatory system.
Surgeons are able to turn back the clock on aging hands using a non-invasive technique known as sclerotherapy. South Jersey vein doctors perform this procedure on an outpatient basis.
Sclerotherapy has been in use for decades and works well for the majority of patients, the Cleveland Clinic reports. It is a standard procedure to treat spider and small varicose veins. One session can eliminate as many as 80 percent of the selected veins.
How Sclerotherapy Works
A specialist performs sclerotherapy in the office or clinic. A procedure usually takes a maximum of half an hour. Most patients experience little, if any, bruising or pain and can resume their normal routine right away. Any pigmentation that appears after treatment usually disappears within days. The results of the procedure typically become visible within six weeks.
After cleansing the targeted area, the physician uses a small needle to inject a specially formulated chemical to cause irritation in a bulging blood vessel. After injection, this chemical starts to harden. This process causes a vein to begin to collapse, according to the SIU School of Medicine. It eventually closes off and fades. Targeted veins are ultimately absorbed by the body.
More than 90 percent of patients respond well to the injections. The number of sessions required depends on the number of veins that need treatment. Since this New Jersey vein treatment cannot prevent the formation of new unsightly veins, some patients will need to return for periodic treatment.
When determining who is a good candidate for sclerotherapy, a doctor considers whether or not a patient has realistic expectations in addition to reviewing the individual’s medical history. Being bedridden and having a certain history of blood clots are two reasons that might disqualify a candidate concerned with the cosmetic effects of aging.
If the appearance of bulging veins on your hands bothers you, contact our vein clinic to make an appointment. At your consultation, our vascular specialist will answer all your questions about treatment options.