If you reached for a cover up to mask your visible veins last summer now is the perfect time to ensure you hit the beach with Baywatch babe confidence this year. Vein problems can show up as early as our 20’s (seriously?), and are more likely to occur as we age. Â About 50 to 55 percent of women suffer from some type of vein problem, and varicose veins affect half of people 50 years and older. [source: womenshealth.gov]
Along with their unsightly appearance, common symptoms of unwanted blood vessels include aching, swelling, throbbing, cramping, fatigue, and leg heaviness. Relief from these complaints (causing dull rather than sharp pain) is almost immediate once the underlying vein problems are addressed.
Instead of stocking up on maxi dresses, you can greatly reduce the appearance (and discomfort) of veins with treatments that won’t sideline you with recovery time.
~ Treating Visible Veins in The Legs ~
We Scoop girls work hard to keep our legs toned, and unsightly veins do not complement our favorite skirts and dresses.
Spider veins are a common vein concern for women of all ages i.e. small purple, blue or red veins that pop up anywhere on the legs and can surface on the face as well. They can be short, separate lines about the size of a large hair or connected in a “sunburst” pattern. Sometimes, they are limited to one area and are barely noticeable. Â Or they can cover a large area and draw the wrong kind of attention.
Doctors don’t know for sure what causes spider veins, correctly called telangiectasias on the face, but heredity likely plays a role along with sun exposure and hormonal changes associated with birth control pills, pregnancy and aging.
Sclerotherapy is the go-to procedure to treat spider veins on the legs, and involves injecting a solution into the vein with a very fine needle. Over a period of weeks, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades, eventually becoming barely noticeable or invisible. ASCLERA is the latest sclerotherapy treatment for spider veins and uses a needle so small it is virtually pain free. We have an ample amount of superficial veins, so treating an abnormal vein allows blood to flow through healthy veins erasing discomfort and improving circulation.
You’ll need to wear medical compression stockings for a few weeks after to maximize your results – even more reason to visit the dermatologist before shorts and sundress weather. Following up your treatment with these stockings will ensure closure of the treated vein(s) and minimize complications such as bruising. You may experience temporary side effects from the treatment such as stinging and bruising at the injection site. Patients are usually advised to resume normal activity immediately after sclerotherapy, but hold off on vigorous exercise (i.e. your ½ marathon training) for twenty-four hours. Most patients experience significant improvement after several treatments – but it takes some time to see the full results. The treated spider veins usually disappear, but similar veins may appear in the same general area and require follow up procedures.
Lasers are used to treat visible veins on the face, sometimes along with electric needles.
We can’t always prevent spider veins, but staying active and in your ideal weight range can help along with wearing support hose. Sunscreen is important to help keep telangiectasias from appearing on the face.
Cool Touch CTEV Endovenous Laser is the latest treatment available for varicose veins on the legs – enlarged veins visible through the skin that can cause pain and discomfort.
The treatment takes less than one hour per leg and is pain free with the use of a local anesthetic. Through a small single needle incision in the leg, a fiber moves through to gently heat and safely close the vein with the CoolTouch CTEV Laser. Once the vein is closed, the blood circulating through this vein is rerouted to other healthy veins and the varicose vein essentially vanishes.
There is no concern of scarring as the incision is so small and no stitches are needed. You will notice immediate improvement after the CoolTouch CTEV procedure is completed. However, depending on their severity, some symptoms may take 1-2 weeks to completely disappear.
~ Treating Visible Veins in The Hands ~
Our hands help us make a first impression, but are also exposed to stress from sun, gravity and other factors. And as we age, dorsal veins can become more prominent as our hands lose volume and skin loses elasticity. Doctors rely on sclerotherapy as an effective treatment for visible veins in the hands, using higher concentrations of the sclerosant solution to minimize their appearance (because hand veins are larger than spider veins in the legs). After the treatment, a pad is placed over the treated area and the hand wrapped with an elastic bandage for overnight.
It’s never fun to spot veins where they weren’t visible a few years ago, but these latest vein treatments can help us get back to loving our look for spring and summer.
