Asclera injections for sclerotherapy, offer a minimally invasive way to clear unwanted leg veins. The patient in these photos found a new sense of freedom from her treatment performed by Los Angeles board certified dermatologist, Dr. Sanusi Umar. Leg veins are noticeable and unsightly. And many people feel the need to constantly wear long pants, leggings or hosiery to keep them concealed. Getting rid of leg veins offers more fashion choices in terms of both clothing and shoes. And during the warm summer months, this can be an enormous relief.
What Is Asclera
Asclera is the name brand for a drug called Polidocanol. It is an FDA approved injection formulated for the purpose of treating leg veins. Prior to its approval in the United States, European countries have been using it for over forty years.
Asclera is highly preferred by doctors over its saline predecessor, sodium tetradecyl sulfate. Whereas, stinging often occurs with sodium injections, Asclera treatments offer a much higher degree of comfort.
Other advantages of Asclera over saline include:
(1) better precision when targeting smaller blood vessels
(2) less risk of new blood vessels forming
(3) higher effectiveness by about 20%, according to the FDA
How Sclerotherapy Works
In sclerotherapy, injections are used to enter the leg veins. Drugs like sodium tetradecyl sulfate and Asclera will sclerose (i.e. erode) the inner lining. This causes the blood vessel to seal off and become non-functional. The body’s natural processes will degrade the tissue and clear away the waste components through the circulatory system.
What Leg Veins Can Asclera Treat?
Asclera is useful for small to medium sized blood vessels which reside close to the skin’s surface. Ideal diameter sizes range from between 1-3 mm. Smaller surface veins may need to be addressed through the use of laser. And larger, deeper veins may require surgical removal.
According to Dr. Umar, Asclera should only be used for cosmetic purposes. Unwanted leg veins related to more serious medical issues will likely require surgery.
Patient’s Leg Vein Results With Asclera
This patient had specific areas that she wanted to address with Asclera. They were located on the front and back of the legs. After a single treatment, a noticeable clearance is seen on the back of the thighs, above the left knee bend.
patient before leg vein treatment with Asclera*
targeted area of Asclera injections*
Final results of using Asclera*
Leg veins typically develop due to weak valves on the inside of the blood vessels. These structures normally help move the blood in an upward direction and prevent their back flow. However with defects in the valves may develop over time. This causes the blood to accumulate in the lower extremities, which causes the blood vessels to bulge.
Sometimes surface redness seen on tiny blood vessels results from exposure to sunlight.
Dr. Umar is able to determine whether laser or Asclera injections would be best for specific patient cases. Many patients choose his expertise with a strong sense of confidence in knowing that they can expect incredible improvements from their leg vein treatment.