Skip to content
Book ConsultationTextWhatsApp
Medical Dermatology

Hello winter…the perfect time to treat your leg veins!

Medically reviewed by Dr. Monika Kiripolsky2 min read

Hate your leg veins?

Do you shy away from wearing skirts and shorts because you don’t like the appearance of your leg veins? You are not alone. As someone who treats leg veins, I recommend that you start planning for summer now, as it takes a few months for your body to break down and absorb the treated leg veins after they are injected.

The best way to treat leg veins is through a procedure called sclerotherapy. We inject a solution with a tiny needle into each visible vein. The solution causes an inflammatory reaction for the vessel walls to break down. You have a deeper network of veins in your legs, so, you don’t need the superficial, visible ones.

Think of leg veins like trees with trunks, branches, and leaves. If we just treat the tiny vessels (telangiectasias), it’s like plucking a leaf off of a tree. The leaf will grow back. We have to treat the branches and trunk of the tree, too (the deeper, reticular, bluish veins that are supplying the tiny telangiectasias).

Misconception #1: Laser is the best treatment to remove leg veins

To penetrate to the depth of the reticular veins in the legs with a laser, you’d burn through the skin. Thus, sclerotherapy (injections into the veins) is the gold standard, best treatment to eradicate unsightly leg veins.

Misconception #2: It’s summertime! It’s the perfect time to get rid of these leg veins!

Noooo! Your body will take 2-3 months to break down the blood vessels after they are treated with sclerotherapy, so, WINTER and SPRING are the best times to have sclerotherapy. Also, you will need to wear compression stockings for a week after the procedure... it’s much easier to hide these under pants than shorts/skirts.

Basically, now is the PERFECT time to have your leg veins treated if you want to get them in top shape for summer!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why are winter and spring the best times for sclerotherapy?

    The body takes 2–3 months to break down the blood vessels after they are treated, so starting now is what gets legs in shape for summer. Compression stockings also have to be worn for a week after the procedure, and those are much easier to hide under pants than under shorts or a skirt.

  • Is laser the best way to remove leg veins?

    No — that is a common misconception. To penetrate to the depth of the reticular veins in the legs with a laser, you would burn through the skin. Sclerotherapy, injecting a solution into the veins with a tiny needle, is the gold standard.

  • Why treat the deeper veins and not just the visible ones?

    Think of leg veins as trees with trunks, branches and leaves. Treating only the tiny vessels — the telangiectasias — is like plucking a leaf off a tree, and the leaf grows back. The deeper, reticular, bluish veins supplying them have to be treated too.

Dr. Monika Kiripolsky

Monika Kiripolsky, MD, FAAD, FAACS

Board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained laser and cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. Every article is written or reviewed by Dr. Kiripolsky.

More from the blog

Text Us