About Unsightly Vein Treatment

It's nearly impossible to get through life without unsightly veins, blood vessels and other benign vascular lesions. They are a problem for millions of men and women worldwide. In some cases, the issues are primarily cosmetic in nature, and for others, unwanted leg veins sometimes pose a health risk that demands attention.

It's estimated that over 60% of the population suffers from varicose veins and spider veins. Varicose veins are enlarged blood vessels that have widened due to a weakness in the vein wall or a problem with the valves that control the flow of blood. Spider veins are the small, superficial purple or red veins stretching like a web under the skin. Overexposure to the sun is believed to contribute to the dilation of spider veins, especially those found on the face.

Unsightly veins become more common with age. Over 40% of middle-aged women (age 40 to 50) report problems with unsightly leg veins. That percentage increases to 72% in women age 60 to 70. Until recently, treatment for varicose and spider veins was a long and painful process that involved needles and other invasive procedures, sometimes even surgery. New light-based and laser therapies are allowing physicians to successfully treat many types of unsightly veins, simply and non-invasively.

Doctors often refer to unsightly veins as benign vascular lesions. These lesions appear on the surface of the skin as splotches, dots, bulges and spider shapes. They can show up in a variety of colors ranging from red to purple to brown. Sometimes they are caused by weakness in the walls or valves of veins, causing blood to stagnate rather than be circulated. Some vascular lesions are so tiny that they are not visible under normal conditions, and others are quite prominent.

Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are commonly found along the inside of the leg, at the back of the calf and at the ankles. The veins are blue and appear swollen, kinked, twisted or "ropey" in appearance. In fact, the word "varicose" comes from the Greek term for "grapelike." Some patients experience no symptoms from varicose veins. Others may be aware of pressure or a dull ache in their legs. Varicose veins can also cause the feet and ankles to swell. Symptoms are usually worse at the end of the day.

Large varicose veins can be an indication of a serious vascular disorder. Slow blood flow can cause blood clots to form inside the affected vein. The slowing of blood flow through the vein can also lead to open sores or ulcers on the skin. More than one million Americans suffer from leg ulcers and nearly 100,000 are disabled by the condition. In this country, six million workdays are lost each year due to complications of varicose veins.