Eat a nutritious breakfast/lunch prior to the procedure. Maintain adequate hydration prior to and after the appointment. 

You may experience bruising, tenderness, swelling after a treatment. The veins often respond to the sclerosant medication with an inflammatory response. Arnica gel or cream may be used during your treatment process to speed the healing of bruises. Arnica does not require a prescription and can be purchased at Whole Foods and some local pharmacies. 

Please have Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen 200mg-take three tablets every six hours with food) OR Aleve (naproxen 225mg-take two tablets every 12 hours with food) available at home. You will be encouraged to use ONE of these medications for up to 1-2 days after a treatment. Please let Dr. Buckner or his team know if you are already taking a prescription anti-inflammatory like Celebrex or Mobic.

You should expect some mild discomfort in your leg during the first 24 hours. You may find that your leg feels tender, achy or tight. Muscle cramping is also common as well as bruising. You may also develop a red streak or blotching over treated areas. These are normal reactions to the treatment. Other commonly noted symptoms include itching, throbbing, fullness and swelling. These symptoms will be most notable when you get up and may peak 24 hours following a treatment. An ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a paper towel may be helpful when applied to your leg for 10 minutes three times a day. Skin staining or hyperpigmentation may occur in 20% to 30% of patients and resolves in time (months).

“Trapped blood” may develop, usually in 2-4 weeks following a treatment session. This occurs when the blood gets caught inside the vein as it heals. This area may feel “bumpy” and tender to the touch. This is an expected side effect with sclerotherapy. If it causes too much discomfort, it can be easily treated in the office at your next follow-up visit.

Please limit exercise to walking on the day of a sclerotherapy session. Running, weightlifting, and other high impact activities may be resumed the next day.

Avoid having lotion on the legs the day of sclerotherapy as lotion prevents the bandages from adhering. The bandages may be removed the morning after sclerotherapy. Then begin daily application of skin lotion to the treated area.

Please bring your compression stockings to the office. We will only require you to wear stockings on the leg we treat. You will be asked to wear the compression stocking during the day for 1-2 days following the procedure.

Please avoid use of iron containing supplements during the first 4-6 weeks of your treatment protocol.

Please avoid excessive sun exposure and use sunscreen (SPF >30) regularly.

Like laser and radiofrequency treatments, the healing process for sclerotherapy is easy. With that being said, it's still extremely important to follow our post-procedure instructions to have the best vein care experience possible.

• Compression will promote clearance of the medication in the vein and reduce straining. Therefore, it's best to wear your compression stockings during the day for the next 2-3 days. You may remove them temporarily to shower.
• After the first 2-3 days, they may be worn at your discretion.

Avoid very hot showers and avoid tub baths, hot tubs, and swimming for 3 days. Pat the skin dry after showering. Soothing aloe vera gel or cool packs may be used to ease any discomfort, and Tylenol or ibuprofen may also reduce any post-treatment irritation. However, please avoid the use of aspirin.