Vein Hopes

Posted: Tuesday 12 October 2010 12:07pm

By Marilyn Cassetta, Registered Nurse*

You look at your mum or,  perhaps,  your nanna and you think to yourself, I can see the future- clearly ahead of me. The truth about spider veins is that they are like miniature varicose veins: they are the smallest of the capillaries that often dilate, or widen, to become annoying pinkish-purple splotches or starbursts that catch your eye whether they are on your face or on your legs. There are several predisposing factors that contribute to “the perfect storm” causing spider veins.

In the first case, heredity is the prime culprit; in other words, thank your mum or your dad, or both of them for passing this gene on to you. Then, when you least expect it, it may be puberty, using birth control pills, a pregnancy, or even post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy that contributes to an increase in your estrogen levels that gives those annoying little vessels another jump-start. To make matters worse, if you couple heredity with blips on your estrogen radar and add a sprinkling of a profession where you stand most of the day (think teachers, hairdressers, nurses, etc.) you are probably going to see those sneaky little spider veins start appearing in your late 20’s or 30’s. The only other addition to the spider vein cocktail would be to add those extra kilos that creep up as we age, burdening gravity even further with a greater uphill battle of getting the blood in your vessels back up to your heart.

That leads us to the obvious question…can we prevent spider veins from happening? Well yes, but no, but yes…if you know what fate has in store for you and would like to prevent spider veins from occurring, to the best of your ability, then start off by maintaining a healthy weight; keep your leg muscles fit and toned, as strong skeletal muscles help to “pump” the blood back up to your heart; choose to wear lycra-infused stockings for extra support, especially, if you must stand for long periods each day; and many, many experts suggest not to cross your legs at the knees, rather, place your legs side by side; and the same goes for sleeping on your side. It’s not likely that you’ll put a pillow between your legs, although it’s recommended, but at least try to “straddle” your legs, if you think about it.

So what’s up if they are already there? Currently, the two primary methods of treatment are either laser or sclerotherapy. There are several types of vascular lasers and intense-pulsed lights that can address a myriad of problems: rosacea, red neck (poikiloderma), “port-wine-stain” birth defects, and larger vessels, however, sclerotherapy appears to still be one of the more efficient and least expensive options available.

Sclerotherapy is a procedure where a sclerosing fluid is injected directly into the tiniest capillaries, with the tiniest of needles, then flushing them with a fluid that will cause the capillary walls to collapse and become reabsorbed (much like a bruise).  Today, not many practitioners use the old saline routine, as most patients prefer not to follow through with a series of those painful injections. Instead, one of the more user-friendly solutions, such as polidocinol, has become the fluid treatment of choice for most spider vein therapy.

Typically, one could expect three to four polidocinol treatments, about 1 month apart. For those under 50, often two to three will suffice. Winter or spring is an excellent time to get started, allowing for plenty of time for all treatments to be completed by summer and outdoor fun. A treatment may take 30-60 min, depending on the quantity treated, and may or may not require compression, as recommended by your practitioner. An average cost might start at $250 per ½ hour, up to $350 per hr.

The day of a treatment, you are discouraged from heavy aerobic activity, but are encouraged to talk a nice walk. Prior to this treatment any type of blood-thinning supplements: fish oils, linseed oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin E, ginko, garlic or ginseng, should, when possible, be ceased a month prior to treatment. If you are taking anti-inflammatories such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naprosyn, you should consult your doctor about how they might impact the treatment, Again, many will find that the benefits of 2 or 3 treatments, a month apart, will far outweigh the cost and will markedly improve the appearance, or should I say disappearance, of those annoying little spider veins as well as prevent them from becoming an even bigger nuisance.

* Silkwood Medical’s Marilyn Cassetta is a registered nurse (since 1976) and aesthetic nurse specialist.  She has previously worked in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery. Her experience includes five years as an intensive care nurse in a burns unit and two years as a burn liaison nurse.  She was one of the first nurse injectors in the US, selected by Collagen Corporation® to work with a San Francisco plastic surgeon.  Marilyn was also named Australia’s advanced technique trainer since 1992, teaching dermal filling techniques to doctors and registered nurses throughout New Zealand and Australia. At Silkwood Medical, in Bondi Junction, Sydney, Marilyn specialises in cosmetic nonsurgical procedures such as dermal fillers, dermal stimulation, muscle relaxers, light and medium chemical peeling, and microsclerotherapy.

by Jenni Gilbert

Comments (3) Print Send to friend Share or bookmark this page