Can I take a shower after Sclerotherapy?

Spider veins and varicose veins aren’t just ugly. They can also cause pain, aching, and feelings of heaviness and fatigue in the areas they affect. And if you have numerous varicose veins or spider veins, they can interfere with normal circulation as well. Millions of men and women suffer from varicose veins and spider veins during their lifetimes, but the good news is, there are state-of-the-art vein treatment options that can help you get rid of those ugly veins — and eliminate the symptoms they cause.

Sclerotherapy is one of the most popular and most effective treatments for spider veins and small varicose veins. During sclerotherapy treatment, a special chemical solution is injected directly into the diseased vein. The solution works by irritating the lining of the vein, causing it to close or collapse on itself so blood flow is prevented. Sclerotherapy treatment can be performed right in our office on an outpatient basis. And although there’s essentially no “downtime” after treatment, there are a few simple guidelines you’ll need to follow during the early stages of recovery — including timing your showers and baths.

Showering After Sclerotherapy

After sclerotherapy, a special bandage will be placed over the area to keep it clean and promote early healing. In most cases, you’ll need to wear the bandage for the first day, and you may be given compression stockings to wear as well. During that initial 24-hour period, you’ll need to avoid getting the area wet, and that means you’ll need to avoid showering if at all possible. Why? There are two main reasons. First, sclerotherapy uses injections, which means there are tiny openings in your skin where the solution is administered. Keeping those areas covered with a sterile, dry bandage helps prevent infection.

Second, exposure to hot water can cause the treated vein to dilate or widen. Since Sclerotherapy works by collapsing the diseased vein to prevent blood flow, you want to do all you can to avoid “reopening” the closed vein — and that includes avoiding hot water. You can shower the morning of your treatment, and you can take a sponge bath afterward if you like. But in most cases, you’ll need to wait at least 24 hours before stepping into a hot shower.

When it comes to baths and hot tubs, you’ll need to wait even longer — about one to two weeks. That’s because while a shower exposes your skin to a relatively short “burst” of hot water, soaking in a tub results in a much longer exposure, and that significantly increases the likelihood those treated veins will dilate or open and blood flow will resume.

Top-Rated Las Vegas Vein Treatment

As a leading Las Vegas vein treatment provider, the Desert Vein Institute offers comprehensive care for varicose veins and spider veins, including sclerotherapy, laser vein treatment and other minimally-invasive options to help you enjoy optimal vascular health. To learn more about the vein treatment options we offer or to schedule an appointment, call 702-726-9709 today.