Hand Vein Basics
Have you noticed the veins on the backs of your hands growing more noticeable over the years? Are they bulging against your skin? Do they look engorged, lumpy, or just plain unattractive? For many of us, hands simply aren’t an area of the body that ages well.
Our skin naturally looses elasticity as we get older. And the skin of our sun-damaged and weather-beaten hands has the added disadvantage of containing a number of relatively large veins that are extremely close to the surface.
Unfortunately, these hand veins can protrude as we age, ultimately making us look a lot older than we are…or at least a lot older than we want to appear! The good news is that these veins do not supply essential blood flow to any body tissues. Our circulatory system can function perfectly well by relying upon veins that are positioned deeper within our hands. This means that qualified medical professionals can treat unsightly hand veins without threatening the overall health and safety of the patient.
Sclerotherapy Treatment
Although some doctors may suggest other cosmetic procedures, such as dermal filler injections, to detract from and disguise unsightly hand veins, the most recommended procedure for actually eliminating these veins is sclerotherapy. A noninvasive procedure, sclerotherapy can be completed in the doctor’s office in a manner of minutes with little pain and no anesthesia.
The sclerotherapy process is extremely simple and straightforward. After identifying and marking problematic veins, your doctor simply injects these veins with a medical solution using a fine-gauge hypodermic needle. The special properties of this solution cause veins to close and collapse. As this happens, your circulatory system naturally reroutes all blood flow to adjacent veins with no ill effects. Over time, the collapsed veins simply reabsorb into the body, significantly fading or disappearing entirely from sight.
After Sclerotherapy
Patients are not only allowed but encouraged to resume daily activities directly after sclerotherapy treatment. Far from harmful, normal and natural movement will help to prevent potential blood clots. However, doctors generally warn patients against exposing treated areas to direct sunlight or engaging in strenuous exercise for a period of around two weeks. Over this same period of time, patients may be asked to wear tight bandages or compression gloves to place firm pressure on treated veins. This compression aids in blood flow and stimulates the healing process.
Although sclerotherapy patients typically begin to see results immediately, the full aesthetic benefits of the procedure may take three to six weeks to become manifest.
Is Sclerotherapy a “Hand Vein Treatment ” Option for You?
Individuals who want to know more about sclerotherapy and its applications for unsightly hand veins are encouraged to contact Dr. Charles Dietzek and the other medical professionals at the Vein & Vascular Institute.