Summer is on its way, and if you’re like nearly half the population, you’re dreading the shorts and skirts that reveal your spider and varicose veins. Soon you’ll be trying to hide or disguise the tell-tale marks of dysfunctional vessels and wondering if everyone else sees the squiggly road map of veins around your legs and ankles.

Advanced Vein Treatment and Cosmetic Center is here to help.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you may also be considering some of the “natural” methods to treat and prevent spider and varicose veins. Before you go that route, take a look at our list of dos and don’ts. We promise to save you time, heartache, and money by arming you with this information.

If you already have spider or varicose veins, let’s start with what you have the most control over: preventing more from developing! There are plenty of things you can do to preserve the clear, smooth real estate your legs still have:

• Don’t stand for long periods of time. As often as possible, sit and elevate your legs either on a foot rest or even above your heart or head if you can. And when you’re sitting, avoid crossing your legs as it cuts off circulation.
• Exercise. It helps prevent the excess weight that contributes to broken vessels, but it also helps maintain a health circulatory system by lowering your blood pressure. Include some swimming in your workout routine as a soothing relief to the legs and ankles. Bonus tip: calf muscles are critical to the circulation of blood away from the ankles, so be sure to target those power houses. Keep in mind that high heels essentially freeze calf muscles in place and disable their circulation efforts. Try to either reduce or eliminate time spent in high heels.
• Wear sunscreen. Slather it on daily and repeatedly on your legs and face (broken vessels can occur on our faces too).
• Consider an anti-inflammatory diet. Some foods can help reduce swelling and increase blood flow, two things that contribute to healthy veins. Generally, your diet should include foods that are high in fiber for weight management, anti-oxidants to reduce inflammation, omega-3s for vessel elasticity, potassium and magnesium because deficiencies are associated with poor veins, and spices like curry and cayenne to boost metabolism. A 100 mg coenzyme Q10 tablet may help oxygenate tissues.
• Stay cool and wear loose clothing. When you avoid overheating it means your circulatory system doesn’t have to kick into that stressful “cool down” mode consisting of dilated veins and swollen tissues. Loose clothing not only helps you stay cool, it also lets your blood flow more easily.
• One important exception: wear compression fabrics on the legs as much as you can. It’s true, compression hose and socks are a critical exception to our loose clothing rule. High-quality compression fabrics help force the blood back to the heart and are an established tool to prevent varicose and spider veins. So well established, in fact, many insurance plans require the individual to wear compression fabrics for sometimes up to a year before approving surgery! If you’re even slightly considering any surgical intervention, contact your insurance company or call our office as soon as possible.

Essentials About Vein Removal

The reality is, if you already have varicose or spider veins, it is nearly impossible to substantially eliminate them through natural, non-surgical methods. Fortunately, our Center provides the most reliable and common vein treatment options available. For years, we’ve been successfully treating patients with endovenous laser ablation (ELA), sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, and laser removal. Each procedure either closes a vein (making it invisible at the skin’s surface) or physically removes the damaged vein altogether. Vein treatment options are more advanced and convenient than ever before, with less pain and shorter recovery times. And, as mentioned earlier, some insurance plans will cover the procedure after their required “self-care” strategies have proven ineffective.

Visit our website or call the Center today to learn more about the procedure that may work best for you. Imagine what it will feel like to welcome summer wholeheartedly, with none of the dread and all of the joy!