6 BEST FAQS ON VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS & TREATMENT

6 BEST FAQS ON VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS & TREATMENT

INTRODUCTION

This article will answer the 6 BEST FAQS ON VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS & TREATMENT you will want answers to before deciding on the pros and cons of correcting VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS, and why your trusted provider should be Sandia Skin + Face.

Knowledge brings confidence to our decision-making, especially regarding outward-facing topics such as our appearance. We want you to be confident when using any Sandia Skin + Face Service or Product. Please keep reading to build your knowledge base and make an informed decision on your next steps.

1. WHAT IS A VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN? (VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN FAQ)

Varicose veins and spider veins appear as swollen, twisted veins that most often appear on the legs.

Women are more likely than men to have varicose veins and spider veins.

Aging (getting older), pregnancy, and obesity will increase your risk of varicose veins and spider veins.

Varicose veins and spider veins are often painless and rarely cause health problems. If they cause symptoms, or if you want to have them removed, talk to your doctor or nurse about treatment options.

Varicose veins are twisted veins that can be blue, red, or skin-colored. The larger veins may appear rope-like and make the skin bulge out.

Spider veins (aka thread veins) are smaller than varicose veins. They are most often red. Spider veins may look like tree branches or spider webs. We usually find spider veins on the legs and on the face. We can normally see spider veins under the skin, but they do not make the skin bulge out like varicose veins do.

At Sandia Skin + Face, we speak with you to understand your goals and work with you to tailor a personal treatment plan to meet them. Please ask us all your questions. Education about our treatments is a crucial service we provide to our clients.

2. WHAT CAUSES VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS? (VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN FAQ)

Varicose and spider veins are often caused by problems in the valves in your veins, which can prevent blood from flowing normally.

Your heart is responsible for pumping blood filled with oxygen and nutrients through your arteries to your entire body. Veins are the vessels that carry the blood from different parts of your body back to your heart. In healthy individuals, your veins have valves that act as one-way flaps. But, if the valves don’t close correctly, blood can leak back into the lower body parts of the vein rather than going towards the heart. As time passes, more blood gets stuck in the vein, building pressure that weakens the walls of the vein. This causes the vein to grow larger, creating spider and varicose veins.

Some women never have any symptoms of varicose veins or spider veins. If you do have some symptoms, they may manifest as your legs feeling extremely tired, heavy, or achy. These symptoms may worsen after sitting or standing for extended periods of time. Symptoms may improve after rest and putting your legs up.

Also, a change in hormone levels may affect your symptoms. You may notice more symptoms during certain times in your menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, or during menopause.

Other symptoms that may be more common with varicose veins include:

• Itching
• Throbbing or cramping
• Swelling

At Sandia Skin + Face, we speak with you to understand your goals and work with you to tailor a personal treatment plan to meet them. Please ask us all your questions. Education about our treatments is a crucial service we provide to our clients.

3. WHO GETS VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS? (VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN FAQ)

Varicose veins affect almost twice as many women (per a study) as men and are more common in older women.

Per a study, spider veins may affect more than half of women.

Damaged valves in the veins that prevent blood from flowing normally cause varicose veins and spider veins. Many things can damage your valves, but your risk of varicose veins and spider veins may be higher if you:

• A family history of varicose veins or spider veins. In one study, more than half of women with varicose veins had a parent with varicose veins too.
• Sitting or standing for long periods. Sitting or standing for over 4 hours at a time may make your veins work harder against gravity to pump blood to your heart.
• Overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese (study) puts extra pressure on your veins.
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy, the amount of blood pumping through your body increases to support your unborn baby, causing your veins to swell. More varicose veins and spider veins may appear with each additional pregnancy.
• Older Age. As we age, the valves in our veins may weaken and not work as well. Deterioration of calf muscles provides less help to squeeze veins and send blood back toward the heart as you walk.
• Use hormonal birth control or menopausal hormone therapy. Estrogen can weaken vein valves and lead to varicose veins. Hormonal birth control may raise your risk of varicose or spider veins. (Study 1) (Study 2)
• Have a condition that damaged the valves. Leg blood clots or vein scarring can damage the valves.

At Sandia Skin + Face, we speak with you to understand your goals and work with you to tailor a personal treatment plan to meet them. Please ask us all your questions. Education about our treatments is a crucial service we provide to our clients.

4. WHEN SHOULD YOU WORRY ABOUT VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS? (VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN FAQ)

If you think you have varicose veins or spider veins and they cause you pain or discomfort, talk to your doctor or nurse.

Varicose veins and spider veins usually do not cause symptoms. But, you may want to remove or close varicose veins or spider veins if you have symptoms or if you don’t like the way they look.

Talk to your doctor or nurse if varicose veins or spider veins cause you pain or when:

• A vein has become swollen, red, or very tender or warm to the touch, which can be a sign of a blood clot
• Sores or a rash appear on your leg or near your ankle
• Your ankle or calf skin changes color
• A varicose vein begins to bleed
• Symptoms keep you from doing daily activities

At Sandia Skin + Face, we speak with you to understand your goals and work with you to tailor a personal treatment plan to meet them. Please ask us all your questions. Education about our treatments is a crucial service we provide to our clients.

5. DO COMPRESSION STOCKING HELP VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS? (VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN FAQ)

Compression leg stockings put pressure on your veins, which increases blood flow from your legs. There are three types of compression stockings in general use:

• Support Pantyhose: These give the least amount of pressure and are sold in most pharmacies.
• Over-the-counter Gradient Compression Hose: These give a little more pressure than support pantyhose around the foot, ankle, and lower leg, where pressure is needed most to move the blood back toward your heart. These are sold in medical supply stores and some pharmacies.
• Prescription-Strength Gradient Compression Hose: These offer the greatest amount of pressure to the feet, ankles, and lower legs. Usually, you need a prescription from your doctor to purchase. A prescription is usually a must if your insurance plan covers it. You will also need to be fitted by a specialist who has been trained to do gradient compression hose fitting. These compression hoses are sold in medical supply stores and some drugstores.

At Sandia Skin + Face, we speak with you to understand your goals and work with you to tailor a personal treatment plan to meet them. Please ask us all your questions. Education about our treatments is a crucial service we provide to our clients.

6. WHAT TREATMENTS CAN I GET FOR VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS? (VARICOSE / SPIDER VEIN FAQ)

There are a variety of treatments, each with different pros, cons, costs, and outcomes one can consider:

• Mild Symptoms: Your doctor or nurse may suggest steps to take at home, such as wearing compression stockings daily and removing them at night to make blood flow better in your legs. These steps may help you manage symptoms of existing varicose veins and spider veins and can also help prevent new varicose veins and spider veins from forming.
• Moderate Symptoms: If compression stockings do not work or if you have pain or other symptoms, your doctor or nurse may talk to you about nonsurgical procedures to treat varicose veins and spider veins.
  • Spider Vein Removal Laser Treatment is a safe, FDA-approved treatment designed to permanently rid you of unwanted spider veins. We do it at Sandia Skin + Face Medical Spa.
    
    We use the “Candela Gentle Max Pro,” which includes the 1064 yag and 855 alexandrite laser wavelengths. Having both wavelengths in one device allows every Fitzpatrick Skin Type to be optimally treated.
• Severe Symptoms: If you have very large or severe varicose veins, you may need to consider surgery.

At Sandia Skin + Face, we speak with you to understand your goals and work with you to tailor a personal treatment plan to meet them. Please ask us all your questions. Education about our treatments is a crucial service we provide to our clients.

CONSULTATIONS ALWAYS COME FIRST AT SANDIA SKIN + FACE

Before any procedure at Sandia Skin + Face, our Master Injector and Nurse Practitioner, Tonya C. Tuggle, provides a full consultation where you can express all your aesthetic concerns, and she can learn about your expectations. Tonya will then discuss potential treatment options for you, including non-invasive alternatives.

If correcting VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS is your goal, Nurse Practitioner Tonya C. Tuggle will meet with you, and together, will determine your plan.

The Final Decision is 100% Yours!

If you have questions, you can call our Sandia Skin + Face office at +1.505.291.9600 or DM us on any of our social media accounts (@sandiaskinface). You can also fill out our easy online booking tool to schedule a consultation! Let us know if you found your questions answered in this article.

If you have Oral Surgery questions, you can call our Sandia Oral Surgery office at +1.505.291.9600. Dr. Eric Tuggle manages a wide variety of problems relating to the mouth, teeth, and facial regions.

CONCLUSION: 6 BEST FAQS ON VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS & TREATMENT

You should now be on a firm footing with our 6 BEST FAQS ON VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS & TREATMENT article and be ready to make your appointment!

If we’ve missed questions in our 6 BEST FAQS ON VARICOSE / SPIDER VEINS & TREATMENT article that you need answers to make your appointment decision, you can tap this link to call us (+1.505.291.9600), or you can ask us a question on our Google Business Profile listing via this link: https://bit.ly/34EFbVP.

At Sandia Skin + Face in Albuquerque, NM, we look forward to being your Trusted Medical Spa Services provider. Let us know how we can earn your trust!