If you have veins on your legs, ankles or feet that cause you grief, you may not have wasted much time worrying about what they were called. Instead, your greatest concern most likely was how to cover them up, get rid of the ones you had and prevent new ones from appearing. This may feel like a losing battle to you as twisted, purple veins continue appearing on your skin. One of the biggest reasons why you may not be winning against these is that many are caused by genetics. Therefore, if your parents had visible veins on their legs, there is a good chance that you will too.
Instead of staying in the dark, you can learn more about these veins and discover differences between two of the most common venous issues in the legs. This will give you a clearer understanding of how concerned you should be with them and will also give you your options if you wish to have them removed.
Spider veins are by far the least concerning of the two, typically causing less visible issues and rarely resulting in any actual physical health issues. Instead, spider veins are normally more of a cosmetic issue, causing web-like patterns of red or purple veins throughout the legs.
On the other hand, varicose veins are more concerning because they are usually larger and can certainly cause some physical health concerns if they are not dealt with promptly. Varicose veins are those veins that cause visible lumps beneath the skin. The skin typically begins to look knotted and gnarled with twisted, rope-like veins appearing throughout the legs. These veins can eventually cause great pain, often with an achy feeling when standing. If you have varicose veins, you may have trouble sleeping due to restless legs or deep leg cramps. If you allow them to progress, they can affect your skin, causing itchy skin and even skin ulcers that are slow to heal.
Whether you have varicose veins that must be removed to decrease the incidence of physical health concerns or spider veins that you want to be removed for cosmetic reasons, we have options to help you. There are several safe and effective methods for permanently removing problem veins. For spider veins, one of the most popular treatment methods is sclerotherapy, which uses a strong saline solution to destroy the vein’s walls. A special foam can also be used, which will block off blood flow to the vein. Your blood will be redirected to other healthy veins, and the spider veins will eventually fade and disappear.
For varicose veins, sclerotherapy may also be used. Other possible options include laser treatments and vein stripping. If you have any visible veins that bother you, call us for an appointment at Beach Cities Vein and Laser Center today, and we can discuss your treatment options.