Having spider or varicose veins can affect more than your appearance these veins can cause serious discomfort, resulting in the need for leg vein treatment. Some varicose veins put you at risk for a complication like a blood clot or open sores on your legs.
Minimally aggressive treatment can get rid of or fade leg veins. Leg vein treatment can also reduce symptoms like pain and exhaustion and avoid complications.
Leg vein causes
The valves that push blood through the varicose veins stop working properly, causing blood to collect in areas in the veins. The veins then expand and the blood in them begins flowing in reverse. Evidence suggests leg veins may be veins that are naturally weak, a condition that could be inherited. This could explain why varicose veins seem to run in families.
Other factors can make leg veins appear or get worse:
- going through a pregnancy
- standing for long periods of time
- being overweight
- age – they appear more often as people grow older
- sex – they are more common in women
Why do we get visible leg veins?
Varicose and spider veins are spoilt or damaged veins. We develop them when tiny, one-way valves inside the veins deteriorate. In healthy veins, these valves push blood in one direction — back to our heart. When these valves weaken, some blood flows backward and accumulates in the vein. Extra blood in the vein puts pressure on the walls of the vein.
With continual pressure, the vein walls weaken and bulge. In time, we see a varicose or spider vein. Some people have a higher risk of developing these veins.
Leg vein treatment:
Leg vein Treatment options range from self-care to minor surgery. A dermatologist may use one or more of these leg vein treatments:
Self-care: Your dermatologist can give you tips to improve your circulation. These tips include:
- Exercise
- Elevate your legs
- Sit for long periods? Get up and walk around every 30 minutes
- Stand for long periods? Take a break every 30 minutes
- Avoid soaking in hot baths for long periods of time
Compression stockings:
These stockings apply steady pressure to help move the blood back to your heart. The steady pressure also lessens swelling in your lower legs and reduces the risk of getting a blood clot. You’ll still have visible leg veins, though.
If you need compression stockings, a dermatologist can examine you so that you get the proper size and right amount of pressure.
Sclerotherapy: This is the most common treatment for leg veins. Over the years, dermatologists have advanced sclerotherapy to make it safer and give patients better results. Today, dermatologists use it to treat spider and small varicose veins.
If you have sclerotherapy, this is what happens during the leg vein treatment:
- Your dermatologist injects a chemical into the spider or varicose vein, which irritates the wall of the vein. Different areas of the vein are injected.
- After the injections, your dermatologist may massage the area.
- A compression stocking is then placed on each leg.
- You will be observed for a time and then be able to go home.
- To help prevent possible side effects, you will need to take daily walks and wear the compression stockings as directed. Most patients wear the compression stockings for 2 to 3 weeks.
- You can return to work and most activities the next day.
Benefits of Sclerotherapy
Many healthcare providers refer to sclerotherapy as the gold standard for leg vein treatment. Patients enjoy these six benefits while getting rid of these abnormal veins, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment. It requires no hospitalization or general anaesthesia.
- It is a safe procedure with few risks. Side effects, if any, usually disappear within just a few days or a few weeks. Less-common complications include inflammation, a blood clot, air bubbles, or an allergic reaction to the sclerosant.
- Preparation for the procedure is simple. Patients avoid applying any lotion to or shaving their legs for 24 hours before the appointment. They wear loose clothing such as a pair of shorts to the vein clinic.
- Individuals report little pain or discomfort during the procedure, which usually lasts less than an hour.
- Most patients return to their normal daily routines, absent any strenuous activities, the same day as their sclerotherapy session.
- Sclerotherapy has a success rate as high as 80 percent for getting rid of treated vessels.
- A vein doctor might need to schedule more than one treatment session for a patient, depending on the size and the location of the veins to be destroyed. It is important to note that no treatment for spider veins will prevent new vessels from forming due to underlying vein disease. For this reason, patients who have undergone sclerotherapy might expect to see new spider veins occasionally and often opt to return for periodic treatments.
Laser treatments:
Dermatologists use lasers to treat spider veins and small varicose veins. During laser treatment, your dermatologist directs the laser light at the vein.
How Does It Work?
Laser vein removal can eliminate unwanted blood vessels from your body, and to achieve this goal, it uses a strong pulse of concentrated laser light. During the procedure, light is sent through a special device. As the laser energy is directed at the venous walls, the vein absorbs the energy. Since the laser light is calibrated to damage specific pigments, it selectively damages the blood vessels and doesn’t damage the surrounding tissues within the body.
Once the light reaches the vessels, it damages the lining, and over time, your body slowly reabsorbs the vessels. By eliminating these damaged veins, the treatment allows blood to start flowing back into deeper vessels, which is where it belongs.
What Can Be Treated?
Laser vein removal in the form of endovenous laser therapy is mainly used as a leg vein treatment. When compared to the alternatives, laser vein treatment offers several great advantages, and it involves significantly less discomfort. Vein stripping is an alternative treatment, and it’s known to cause a significant amount of discomfort