Varicose Vein Treatments: Which is right for you?

Varicose veins, although not a serious health risk, can be embarrassing and unsightly for many men and women. The enlarged red or blue veins appear on thighs, calves, or face, and can make those who suffer feel self-conscious, especially when he or she takes a trip to the beach or camping! Fortunately, there are many treatment options that are safe and minimally invasive. Here are the top three treatments for varicose veins. Which one is right for you?

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Laser Surgery – Laser surgery is similar to sclerotherapy in that the goal of the procedure is to cause damage to the varicose vein so it will form scar tissue and close. A simple laser treatment is usually an outpatient procedure. Physicians direct a laser onto the vein; the heat damages the vein, leading to scar tissue. Laser surgery is often used in conjunction with other types of varicose vein treatments.

Is it for you?  Simple laser surgery is non-invasive and works best with small varicose veins. The treatments take longer – often 6 to 12 sessions total – and take longer to fully disappear (up to a year in some cases.) The bonus of simple laser surgery is that the down time after treatment is minimal; most patients return to their daily routine immediately after treatment. 

Sclerotherapy – In this type of varicose vein treatment, physicians inject a special solution directly into the vein, causing it to scar and collapse. Blood that normally would go through these veins are redirected into other veins, and the unsightly, dark vein disappears within a few weeks through reabsorption into the tissue surrounding it.  The procedure is relatively painless (except for the sting of a small needle) and can be done in a comfortable office setting. Full results can be seen in three to six weeks, although it may take several months for large veins to disappear completely.

Is it for you?  Sclerotherapy is typically used on small spider veins that appear in legs or arms, and for cosmetic reasons. The outpatient procedure is very safe, and is the  treatment of choice for small varicose veins. Some of the side effects are mild inflammation, air bubbles, darkened skin or bruising, and small skin sores. Your doctor will ask you to wear compression stockings for about three weeks after the treatment, avoid sun exposure and halt strenuous exercise for a few weeks after.

Endovenous Ablation – This procedure, although minimally invasive, is a bit more complicated than the first two varicose vein treatments on our list. Endovenous ablation basically closes a large, long varicose vein by using heat energy to seal it shut from the inside. Local anesthesia is administered, and then a thin catheter is inserted in an entry point (usually close to the knee.) Lasers or radio frequency energy is administered to the vein to seal it shut.

Is it for you?  Of the procedures to get rid of varicose veins, endovenous ablation is perhaps the most complicated and has the most down time and complications. The procedure is outpatient, but patients must wear compression stockings for about a week after the procedure. Pain and bruising are common, but can be treated with over-the-counter non-aspirin pain relievers. Walking is encouraged, but strenuous exercise (like running or cardiovascular workouts) are discouraged for a few weeks after. Only one large vein can be treated at a time, so for numerous large veins, subsequent treatments are necessary.  

Amanda is a social media manager for a health care organization by day and a blogger and freelance writer by night. She's also a mom to an amazing 2 year-old boy and wife to a great guy who indulges all her celebrity gossip. Amanda loves healthy living, coffee, fashion, Twitter, makeup, nail polish, and cats (not always in that order.) Her work has been published on family.com and blogher.com. For more celebrity gossip, fashion, beauty and DIY, visit Amanda's blog, It's Blogworthy (http://itsblogworthy.com) or follow her on Twitter and Google+.

Guest Post: Beauty myths - Don’t let them get to you

One of the things women will care about consistently throughout their lives will be their beauty and skincare. It is actually amazing how far women would actually go to preserve their skin against aging, or to reduce acne and freckles or to get a glowing spotless skin. Well, most of us tend to believe a lot in beauty myths that we read in magazines or have just been passed down from mother to daughter. Well, don’t follow these supposedly beauty tips without confirmation because most of them tend to be just myths and nothing else.

Myth1: Crossing your legs will cause varicose veins - Wrong! Sitting with crossed legs cannot cause spider legs or varicose veins but spending a lot of time standing up may do that. When you stand up for too long, your vascular network has to work harder to pump blood to your heart and this can cause protruding veins on your legs.

Myth 2: Shaving your legs makes the hair come back thicker-another myth. Your hair will grow as they should, according to your genes. Some people have lighter, thinner hair while some have darker, thicker hair; shaving has nothing to do with it. Only, when you shave, you cut the hair, it’s not removed from the root so when they grow back, they tend to look thicker.

Myth 3: Applying ice to the skin will make the pores smaller - Wrong! Our pores are once again, part of our genes and that also has nothing to do with artificial products. The size of our pores will remain as they are. However, ice can act as a good toner for your skin anyway.

Myth 4: Applying nail polish all the time can make nails yellow - True. This happens to a lot of women who love wearing nail polish all the time. The reason for this being true is that our nails can absorb the color pigments, especially of stronger and darker colors. So before you put on the color, apply a layer of clear base coat which can prevent the nails from absorbing pigment.

Myth 5: Toothpaste can cure pimples – well, yes kind of. Toothpaste has elements and ingredients that can heal a pimple much sooner and can dry it up but toothpaste can also irritate your skin and dry it. So it may be a better idea to use pimple cream rather than toothpaste if your skin is especially susceptible.

Myth 6: Applying beer on skin before a sun tan can make it glow - Not! Unless you are going for a self-tan, try to avoid sun tanning altogether. Applying beer has nothing to do with golden tans; it’s all about the genetics. Some people can get good and golden tans while some cannot, it is as simple as that.

Myth 7: Split ends can be repaired-Wrong. Split ends once formed are formed and you cannot force the hair to repair itself back again. Split ends are a sign of unhealthy treatment or just an indication that it is high time for you to get your hair trimmed. Hair trimming can actually make hair grow quickly and remain healthy.

Author Bio

Richard Jacobs is a chief editor since early 2007, and he currently works for www.myduiattorney.org. A website that helps you to find the right DUI lawyer, you can search for a NJ DUI Lawyer online, anytime!

This is a guest post written by a sponsor and I have approved this article for useful content pertaining to my blog. My thoughts and opinions may differ than those of the author of this post.