Anyone can suffer with thread (red, spider or broken) veins, and they can appear on any part of the body. Microsclerotherapy is the technique of injecting thread veins with a special substance known as a sclerosant, usually a solution called sodium tetradecyl sulphate that causes swelling in the veins wall. If the vein is small enough, the swelling will destroy the vein over several weeks, making it much less noticeable or even invisible. It is mostly used for leg and other thread veins on the body but is rarely used on the face, where laser or IPL treatments are often favoured, owing to the small possibility of scarring that can occur with microsclerotherapy. In practice, most people require between 2 and 6 treatments at 4 to 8 week intervals, depending on the size of the veins, and 75% disappearance of the veins is expected. Private costs for microsclerotherapy can range from around £150 to £250 for treatment session. Total treatment costs depend upon the extent of the veins and the number of treatment sessions required for improvement.