A new year is upon us! Are you the kind of person that loves to make New Year’s resolutions but finds it difficult to follow through? No problem. All you need is a little extra support from friends, family, and experts to help you reach your goals.
We believe in the power of goal-setting, so we’re totally into making attainable New Year’s resolutions. Here are three popular resolutions made by our friends and clients here in Colorado:
- Getting out on the slopes more than once this winter
- Trying out a new summer sport
- Healthy, great-looking legs!
We may not be able to aid you with the first two resolutions directly, but we can certainly support you with your legs! We can also help you with improving your vein health! If you combine healthy practices with vein removal treatment, your legs will feel and look great! And once your legs feel better, and you feel better about your legs, you’ll have more stamina on the slopes this winter, and you’ll find it much easier to be motivated to throw those shorts and swimsuits on over the summertime shamelessly.
Six Tips for Healthier, Happier Legs
Are you ready to rock those legs? Here are six suggestions on how to get started on helping your legs to look and feel healthier.
- Eat well – The holidays are over. It’s time to get back to a well-balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods. Add bioflavonoid-rich foods to improve circulation and strengthen vein walls.
- Get that body moving! – Love the gym? Go! Not into the gym? Walk, jog, dance, or participate in any activity that will get the blood circulating through your legs.
- Maintain a healthy weight – Everybody is different. Get to know more about yours by finding out what your optimal weight should be. If you’re not already at your optimal weight, take steps to get there.
- Protect your skin – Exposure to excessive sun and heat can cause spider veins and varicose veins to worsen. Before you go out in the sun, apply sunscreen on your legs and other exposed areas.
- Say no to smoking– Smokers are at a higher risk for vascular and vein diseases. Even just being around people who are smoking can damage your body’s vascular system.
- Wear your socks – Wearing compression stockings during the day can help improve the circulation in your legs and relieve some symptoms of varicose veins.
Varicose and Spider Veins
Two challenges that you may have to hurdle to fulfill your “great-looking legs” resolution are varicose veins and spider veins.
Which is Which?
Varicose veins are the twisted, bulging blue blood vessels that are right under the surface of your skin. They may cause your legs to feel heavy or uncomfortable or even swell. Occasionally they can signal or lead to more serious health conditions.
Spider veins are the tiny webs of red or blue lines, usually less than 1 mm in diameter, that are just below the surface of your skin. They’re almost always painless and don’t lead to other health problems.
15 Facts About Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
- Between 50 to 55 percent of women and 40 to 45 percent of men in America suffer from some form of vein problems.
- Varicose veins affect half of the people 50 years and older.
- Varicose veins are not always just a cosmetic problem. They can impact your quality of life and lead to serious health problems.
- Both varicose veins and spider veins are passed down through families.
- If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop spider and varicose veins.
- Varicose and spider veins are more likely to develop as you age.
- Women are more likely to get them than men.
- Varicose veins can develop during pregnancy – but usually disappear within three months after giving birth.
- Varicose veins may be hormone-related, so medications containing female hormones increase your risk of developing varicose veins.
- Sitting or standing all day may worsen your varicose veins.
- Varicose veins typically form in the legs, but spider veins form on both the legs and face.
- Varicose veins can worsen and cause sores that do not heal, increased leg swelling, and hardening of the skin.
- 2-3 percent of people with varicose veins develop blood clots that can move into the deeper veins, becoming a deep vein thrombosis, a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.
- Your health insurance may cover varicose vein treatment.
Getting Rid of Unsightly Veins on Your Legs
There are a wide number of vein removal treatments available for both spider and varicose veins. Ultrasound-guided medical sclerotherapy is used to treat both. During this painless treatment, a solution is injected into the problem veins, which dissolves the problem veins, redirecting blood flow to healthy ones.
Two other treatments that we favor for varicose veins are ELAS and Ambulatory Phlebectomy.
Endovenous Laser Ablation of the Saphenous Vein (ELAS)
ELAS is a clinically proven, FDA approved technique that permanently eliminates varicose veins. This minimally invasive procedure is performed under local anesthetic and causes no damage to the surrounding tissue. A very small puncture is made, and a thin laser is inserted into the damaged vein. The laser then creates heat that causes the vein to collapse. Blood then flows through the healthy veins in the leg. Not only will you enjoy a fast recovery, but the procedure will leave your legs scar-free!
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory Phlebectomy removes very twisted varicose veins on the surface of the legs. The procedure involves making tiny punctures through which the veins are removed. This procedure is performed under local anesthetic, and the incisions are so small no stitches are required- and there is no scarring!
To remove spider veins, we would recommend the sclerotherapy treatment that we mentioned earlier or Laser Therapy. We prefer to use the CoolGlide laser system for our laser treatments. This non-invasive technology uses long-wavelength light energy to eliminate small spider veins. This light energy pulses causing the vein’s blood to coagulate, which helps to destroy the vein. The body absorbs the vein, and the blood redirects through other veins. The procedure leaves no bruising and is virtually painless!
The First Step to Fulfilling Your “Great Looking Legs” New Year’s Goal
Living a positive, healthy lifestyle combined with the right vein removal treatment will have you reaching your “Great Looking Legs” goal before the summer season. The first step is to contact us for a consultation today!