Which One is Right for You – Sclerotherapy or AFT Laser Treatment?

When treating spider veins, the most popular options are sclerotherapy and AFT laser treatment. Both of these treatments can be extremely effective which can make it difficult to decide which one is right for you. Unfortunately, there is some overlap in the types of spider veins both of these procedures can address. As a result, deciding between the two can be difficult. At the same time, there are a number of indicators which can help guide you to the best solution. Here are few questions you need to answer before making your decision.

How Large Are Your Spider Veins?

A primary consideration when deciding between sclerotherapy and AFT laser treatment is the size of your spider veins. In general, sclerotherapy was developed for medium to large spider veins. This is because during the procedure a needle needs to fit into the vein. With extremely small spider veins this can be difficult, if not impossible. On the other hand, AFT laser treatments are primarily designed for small to medium-sized spider veins. As you can see, both of these procedures can work hand-in-hand to provide you with the ideal results you desire.

Where Are the Spider Veins Located?

The two most common places on the body to find spider veins are on the face and in the legs, although they can appear elsewhere. The location of the spider veins will play a central role in deciding which treatment option is best. For example, tackling spider veins on your face will almost exclusively be done through a laser photofacial in Houston. On the other hand, spider veins in your legs may require sclerotherapy. Is important to keep in mind that laser treatments have limitations based upon depth. If the blood vessels are too deep, sclerotherapy will be the only viable option.

Always Talk to a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

While there are a variety of medical practices in which the physician may have experience with sclerotherapy or ATF laser treatments, consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon is always the ideal solution. They will be well versed in both techniques and have the experience necessary to provide you with the best possible solution. Before visiting with them, make sure that they offer both sclerotherapy and AFT laser treatments. If they only offer one or the other then there may be some bias in their advice. While they would never provide inaccurate consultations, their lack of experience with both options can make it difficult for them to recommend something they haven’t tried.

Unfortunately there isn’t a single treatment for spider veins which will always be effective 100 percent of the time. The overall success rate will be determined both by the treatment chosen as well as the physician doing the treatment. In some cases, it may even be necessary to combine multiple treatments in order to provide the best possible results. Contact us to learn more from the experts at our Houston Medical Spa.

While there isn’t a signature correct answer that everyone will agree on, there also isn’t an answer which will always be incorrect. One thing to keep in mind is that both of these treatments may require two or three sessions in order to give you the results you want. Just because you don’t get the results you want the first time, it doesn’t mean the treatment is ineffective. It just means more than one session will be needed.