At our vein and cosmetic center, we hear many of our patients lament over the appearance of their varicose veins. Patients want to know if there’s anything they can do to make them less prominent.
We understand why patients get fixated on finding a cosmetic solution. Varicose veins aren’t shy about the way they look!
Those ropey blue-purple veins bulge out of your skin and are tough to miss, which means our patients often lack confidence when their legs are visible.
For many, varicose veins mean hiding behind long trousers and skirts, and staying away from situations that would risk their reveal. Summer can quickly become our patients’ least favorite month.
Our dedicated vein surgeon, Dr Pinsinski, has been treating varicose veins for a long time and is a veritable pro at removing them with the latest trusted procedures.
Before we talk about our vein treatments, we’ll answer a common question patients usually have for us: can you reduce the appearance of varicose veins at home?
We understand you might want to try and cover up those veins yourself first. Here are some ways you can do just that.
Compression stockings have a dual purpose for varicose veins. They’re primarily used to increase blood flow and ease some of the symptoms they cause. However, it turns out, they’re also good at covering those twisted veins up.
You can opt for flesh-colored thigh-high compression stockings to give your legs a natural appearance while keeping those varicose veins nice and hidden. If you don’t require a lot of pressure, sheer compression stockings are on the cards.
Pros: easy to slip on, takes care of the cosmetic and medical problems that come with varicose veins and is accessible in flesh tones.
Cons: while they may look natural, people can still tell you’re wearing stockings, and you’ll need to keep wearing them to keep varicose veins covered (although, this might be a good idea for patients!)
Makeup isn’t just for the face. You can use body concealer or self-tanning lotion to cover up your veins. These products can help reduce the appearance of spider or varicose veins, and they’ll give off a more natural look than compression stockings. Bear in mind, body concealer may not be as accessible as self-tanning lotion.
Pros: looks natural, body concealer can be undetectable in the right shades and consistencies.
Cons: May come off due to sweat/water, limits what you can do (for example swimming), is time-consuming, and may just stain your favorite couch when you sit down!
Okay, so this isn’t an instant solution. However, helping to increase blood flow through gentle exercise, stretching and walking can improve circulation, which can then improve the look and the health of your varicose veins.
You could take up yoga, go for a walk or just get up and stretch throughout the day. It’s all about moving away from a sedentary lifestyle and into a more active one. Knocking back more water helps too!
Pros: movement is good for you anyway and improving circulation is important when you have varicose veins.
Cons: a reduction of appearance may or may not happen – this is hard to predict and not guaranteed, results come much later.
The three suggestions above can work, but we don’t see them as complete solutions.
Take body makeup for example… it’s all well and good until you want to go to the beach. And yet, we imagine that’s the very place you’d like to have your legs on show.
Our vein surgeon, Dr. David L Pinsinski, is an expert at treating varicose veins. Following are the treatments he offers to remove your varicose veins and improve the appearance of your legs.
This is usually the first treatment of choice. This procedure prevents the backward blood flow that happens with varicose veins by using targeted laser energy to close the vein up. The blood then moves into your healthy veins, and out of your diseased ones!
Laser ablation is minimally invasive and is considered the gold-standard treatment for varicose veins.
We bet you’ll want to know… does laser ablation hurt?
Laser ablation doesn’t typically involve pain, but there can be some bruising and swelling after the treatment. These side effects will subsist after a couple of weeks and usually aren’t too bothersome.
Any leftover varicose veins are then promptly treated with phlebectomy – another minimally invasive procedure that can work wonders for the reduction of varicose veins.
These are two other treatments we use to remove varicose veins. Instead of using a laser to close the veins, foam is inserted into the diseased vein to do the job.
Both procedures produce high satisfaction rates in patients and neither requires sedation or local anesthetic!
Find the right treatment for you with Vein Surgeon Dr. Pinsinski in Westminster
If you’re tired of the way your varicose veins look, you can try some of the at-home options we mentioned above – though remember, they aren’t all that effective and come with their own drawbacks and limitations.
Instead, why not remove them altogether at our vein and aesthetic clinic in Westminster?
To see what can be done about your varicose veins, book an appointment with Dr. Pinsinski. He’ll discuss your options with you in-depth, using his years of experience and expertise.
Contact us today for an appointment.
