Why do leg veins appear and how can we treat them?
Legs veins can make us very cautious about what we decide to wear day to day. We may opt for that longer skirt or trousers instead of shorts. Leg veins can vary in size from small thin red purple veins to thicker blue reticular veins which can be flat or slightly raised. Leg veins are very common and it is estimated 30-60% of adults suffer, mainly affecting women. Luckily at Lowen Dental Spa we have a solution so you never have to feel self-conscious again - our Nd:YAG laser treatment.
Leg veins can be caused by a number of things
- It can be heredity
- Certain jobs which require standing for long periods of time such as hair dressers, teachers, nurses are more susceptible
- Hormonal fluctuations such a contraceptive pills, pregnancy and menopause
- Being overweight
As we age our veins are not as efficient at returning blood back to the heart as our valves become damaged and weakened. The blood then ‘sits’ in the vein causing it to enlarge and become a permanent visible vein.
If you are fair your skin tends to be more transparent and can make veins more visible. The same goes to when you are a slimmer build as there is less body fat therefore the veins become closer to the surface of the skin and become more noticeable.
In the case of varicose veins, the blood sitting in the vein builds up to such an extend it will bulge and protrude above the surface of the skin. Varicose veins ideally should be seen by a vascular surgeon and removed when necessary.
Our laser works by heating the blood vessels and coagulating the blood in the unwanted vein. Your body’s immune system (our white blood cells) then come along and clear away the coagulated blood and over a period of 6-12 weeks and there should be little to no trace of the vein. Stronger veins such as blue reticular veins may require multiple treatments to have optimum results.
Make sure when possible, to exercise as this will improve your circulation and encourage blood flow back to the heart.
