“Too late to treat spider veins on my own?”
I have some spider veins. I understand they're common and I also understand that many people undergo treatment to get rid of them. Of course it's too late to prevent them so is there anything I can do at home to get rid of them?
2 Answers
There are a couple of things that can be tried at home, however, whether or not you can get rid of them would be dependent on whether or not you have an underlying problem, i.e. venous insufficiency. The things you can try at home are elevating your legs at least once through out your day and wearing compression hose.
Thank for your question. Unfortunately you cannot treat spider veins or varicose veins on your own. Diet and exercise do not improve varicose veins or spider veins. We often recommend (and insurance requires) that patients use compression stockings (15-20mmHg or 20-30mmHg) daily to help reduce symptoms and progression of the varicose veins. Simple sclerotherapy injections targeting the spider veins are often ineffective unless any underlying venous reflux and varicose vein disease are properly diagnosed with ultrasound and treated. Sclerotherapy for spider veins is considered cosmetic whereas many insurance companies cover treatments for venous insufficiency and varicose veins. Patients should avoid medical spas that only offer sclerotherapy and seek treatment from a surgeon dedicated to varicose vein disease.
F. Rodriguez, MD, FACS, FAACS
RGV Cosmetic Surgery & Vein Care
www.RGVCosmetic.com
F. Rodriguez, MD, FACS, FAACS
RGV Cosmetic Surgery & Vein Care
www.RGVCosmetic.com
