Hand Vein Treatment

Hand Veins

Hand veins can become enlarged and engorged giving the appearance similar to varicose veins of the legs. These hand veins may look unsightly and are easily treated with sclerotherapy. The treatment takes less than 30 minutes and is performed as an outpatient procedure. The unsightly veins are injected with a solution which shrinks the veins giving a more youthful appearance to the hands.

Prominent hand veins have many causes. Enlarged hand veins are usually normal veins that have become more pronounced over time because of age and loss of fat and connective tissue in the hands. If you have family members that have prominent hand veins, then you are more likely to develop them as well. As we age, there is the loss of collagen and connective tissue, which is much more noticeable in the hands and can give the appearance of older looking hands. There are also less common but medical causes of dilated veins of the hands including superficial thrombophlebitis, which is inflammation of the superficial veins possibly related to infection, trauma or blood clot formation. An additional uncommon cause is deep venous thrombosis or DVT of the arm. This is a clot of the deeper veins, which causes the superficial veins of the hand to become enlarged. In such cases, you will need a vein specialist to evaluate.

Hand Vein Treatment

Hand veins are easily and safely treated with sclerotherapy. This is a procedure that entails injecting a sclerosing solution into the dilated visible veins of the hands. This results in collapse of the vein, which is eventually resorbed by the body and results in rerouting of the blood into healthy deeper veins. Treating the superficial hand veins is very safe and a common patient concern is about losing these superficial veins. Because we have numerous deep veins in the hand, the superficial veins can safely be treated with no consequences. The procedure is performed at the Center for Varicose Veins by Dr. Vinay Madan and typically takes less than 30 minutes. There is no significant downtime after the injection except for restricted strenuous exercise for the same day of the procedure. You may otherwise do all routine activities of the day. You will need to wear a compression glove or ace bandage for the first couple of days after the procedure. The following day you may return to normal exercise and activity. You may need anywhere from 1-3 treatments, depending on the size of the veins and response to treatment.

Hand Vein Treatment Results

Results of treatment are demonstrated almost immediately. Some patients may develop mild bruising and pigmentation over the treated veins. These side effects usually resolve over the following few days with the full benefits noticeable after four to six weeks. The benefits of treatment should remain for many years after treatment. If you are interested in having your hand veins evaluated or treated, call Dr. Vinay Madan, MD, DABVLM at the Center for Varicose Veins for a free evaluation.