The Best Treatments for Unsightly Veins by Daniel Beasley

First of all, you have probably heard of varicose and spider veins, but do you know what they are? Varicose veins are defined as 'abnormal dilated blood vessels caused by a weakening of the vessel wall.' They can be extremely prominent, lumpy looking veins and are usually flesh colored or bluish and more often than not occur on the legs. Spider veins are generally the precursors to or accompaniers of varicose veins, and are generally smaller, blue and or purple in color, and tiny. They are actually capillaries closer to the surface of the skin. Anyone can get varicose or spider veins, however women are more susceptible than men, and the likelihood of developing them increases with age. Other contributing factors to developing varicose and/or spider veins include being overweight, heredity, prolonged periods of standing, hormonal fluctuations (including the use of birth control pills), vein injury and proclivity toward wearing tight clothing or undergarments. Generally, varicose and/spider veins do not necessitate treatment unless they have reached a point that they cause pain or discomfort. However, they are terribly unsightly and many sufferers opt for treatment for purely cosmetic reasons. Fortunately, there are many effective treatments for varicose and/or spider veins. Some of the most basic involve simple steps such as wearing supportive hose, losing weight (if that is a factor), getting more exercise and avoiding being on your feet for extended periods. However, for those who find the more basic treatments ineffective, there are also specialized medical treatments designed to eliminate varicose/spider veins quickly and efficiently. Those treatments include laser therapy (most effective on the smallest of spider veins), sclerotherapy, which involves injecting sodium chloride directly into the offending veins. Sclerotherapy is highly effective, inexpensive and able to be performed on an outpatient basis. Additional treatments are also gaining popularity; they include photoderm (which can require multiple treatments and be very expensive) and surgical ligation (which is an inpatient surgical procedure for the most severe varicose veins.)