Perhaps you noticed them on your grandmother when you were growing up, but you never thought they’d appear on your legs. You may have thought that you had a slight bruise at first, until it never actually went away and more “bruising” appeared. There’s no doubt about it; you are one of the 60 percent of Americans who have spider veins.
Spider veins are dilated blood vessels that are visible underneath the surface of the skin. They can have the appearance of individual lines, or branch out in clusters that come across as a bruised appearance. These dilated vessels occur in both women and men, often in people whose occupations require a lot of standing throughout the day. Other factors that can cause spider veins are hormones, weight gain, heredity, and sitting or standing for long periods of time. While spider veins can be uncomfortable, they are not usually serious. However, they are visibly annoying and may make you feel self-conscious when wearing garments that expose your legs. You are not alone, and treatments are available.
The first step is to have an evaluation by a vein specialist to make sure that there isn’t a cause for concern. The good news is that spider veins are usually a cosmetic issue, and will cause only minor discomfort, if any. Even so, you may be unhappy with what they have done to the way your legs look. Their appearance can replace your formerly smooth skin with blue, red, or purple splotches that resemble spider legs or little road maps. This is where cosmetic sclerotherapy comes in.
Cosmetic sclerotherapy can remove these problematic veins during an in-office procedure. Under magnification or a special vein light, a solution is injected into the veins using a very small needle. The treated vein then eventually closes itself off and disappears from the skin’s surface. Approximately one month to six months following a series of treatments, it will be as if the spider veins were never there!
If these symptoms sound familiar and you suspect that you may be suffering from vein disease, why not find out for sure from the leading vein treatment center in Bloomington? Call The Vein Specialists at 309-862-4000 to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians or request an appointment online at www.ILveins.com. We have convenient locations in Bloomington, Peru, Springfield, and Streator.