Will it be completely ineffective, a waste of time and money if I cannot wear the support hose?
It would not be "completely ineffective" but it would decrease the success rate of reduction significantly. Sclerotherapy is not a 100% guarantee, it will only reduce your spider veins by about 30% and you may need several sessions to get rid of the veins you dislike.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It will more than likely take more treatments because you are trying to close the tiny veins by irritating the inner lining of a tubular structure. But no one has studied the actual benefit of stockings. So it is purely hypothetical.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
No, not a complete waste of time. Results will just not be as good.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Healing potential is reduced, and it would best if you wore stockings for at least two weeks, preferably for three months.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Firstly without knowing what veins, size and type of treatment it is difficult to say. The consensus in those practices specializing in vein treatment is is this: hose use does enhance the procedures. Length of time worn varies from one place to another.
We use three days for 24 hours, then in the day only for four days. Patients actually like the way the hose feels (we use Sigvaris Eversheer thigh length hose) and choose to wear them at other times.
If you are unable to tolerate the hose, we do use ace wraps for several days but these are harder to tolerate than hose. We feel if you are investing in the treatments, why not maximize the outcome?
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Support hose is recommended because you will get the best result if the veins that were injected were compressed together to help them heal closed so that it does not allow blood to flow through them. But if you are unable to wear them, try to use an ace bandage to wrap around the spots treated to create some type of compression.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Compression stockings may enhance comfort and the cosmetic result following sclerotherapy. However for the treatment of spider veins alone, good results are achieveable without stockings.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
The best results from sclerotherapy occur with post-treatment compression. This works by keeping the solution stuck to the veins to help them to dissolve. I recommend compression for only 48 hours post-treatment. If you cannot tolerate a support hose for 2 days, then an ace wrap is a good second choice. If you cannot tolerate any compression then you need to realize that you will still have a response to sclerotherapy but it may not be optimum.
Published on Jul 11, 2012