GROOMING: DEALING WITH SPIDER & VARICOSE VEINS

We all have our little obsessions about certain areas of our anatomy that don’t quite conform to perfection. For some of us it’s a wobbly tummy, or the wrinkles that appeared when no one was watching. And for some of us it’s those little red spider veins that appear around the nose area or even worse, on the cheeks where they cannot be ignored.

It will be a relief to know that there are treatments for these little problems. While the girls can just hide it with make-up, there are limits to how men can disguise them. (Well, for work anyway, and finding a suitable blemish cover that’s exactly the right shade is not that easy.)

And then, of course, there are varicose veins; those large blue ropey veins that are visible on the legs. They can progress to a stage where they are not pleasing to the eye and quite painful too. You may well start thinking twice about wearing shorts.

Causes of varicose veins and spider veins

Those little spider veins and even varicose veins could be a genetic trait, so have a look at your family history to see whether any of your parents or grandparents had a problem.

The other possibility could be that you spend a lot of time on your feet. If we rest with our legs up, there is no pressure in the venous system, but when we regularly stand for long periods of time, the high pressure overrides the valves assisting in the return of blood to the heart and blood pools in the leg veins. By the way – crossing your legs has no effect on developing leg veins!

To explain further: blood in leg veins travels upwards to the heart, but because of gravity, the blood will always try to flow back to the feet. Normal veins have valves to assist the upward travel to the heart, but should those valves break down, there will be more blood in the leg veins, causing increased pressure and expansion of the vein wall, which can eventually lead to varicose veins. Varicose veins serve no useful purpose and our bodies can adapt and find alternative pathways if these veins are closed, but they are unsightly.

Unfortunately you can’t do very much about the development of leg veins unless you change your job or your genetic history. Alternatively you can wear support stockings (really!), but maintaining a healthy weight will help reduce backward pressure on leg veins.

Another solution would be to visit the doctors at your Body Renewal Clinic for advice and treatment on how to have either the spider veins or the varicose veins treated for improved appearance.

Spider veins

There are two laser treatments available for the removal of spider veins and those small red spots, anywhere on the face and body: either the CoolGlide ND Yag or the light based Acutip 500™ which will permanently reduce veins up to 4 mm. Treatments are planned to ensure the best cosmetic outcome and more than one treatment may be necessary. These laser treatments are included in the 3D Skin Rejuvenation package so you could have a full facial treatment as well as having those spider veins seen to.

Sclerotherapy and varicose veins

After a consultation to assess the veins, Sclerotherapy is done only by medical doctors and is best for areas in the lower leg region. A liquid solution is injected directly into the vein, causing irritation and inflammation which makes the vein stick together and scar, thus preventing blood flow. Because the body has the ability to reroute blood to other veins, this will not be harmful to your health, but it will reduce the appearance of veins on the surface.

The treatment consists of a series of microinjections, and the result of treatment will only be visible after 6 to 8 weeks, once the body has had a chance to heal.

After treatment you can carry on with your normal activities while wearing a compression stocking, and some daily exercise is encouraged to get the calf muscles working (although no strenuous exercise is advised for at least two weeks afterwards). You can expect a fifty to eighty percent improvement after a single treatment and even more after a course of treatments. As time passes, you will see the veins lightening and then disappearing.

At Body Renewal, these treatments are done by qualified medical doctors who have had experience in doing these procedures. So rest assured, you will be in good hands.