Now’s The Time To Get Your Legs Ready For Summer!

Although it’s hard to believe with two feet of fresh snow on the ground, but spring really is around the corner! And NOW is a good time to think about removing those irritating little things that look like a purple or blue road map on your legs – spider veins.

Spider veins can plague anyone, old or young, male or female. Luckily, there’s a simple procedure that can take care of them . Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a treatment solution into the leg veins with very fine needles. The solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel, causing it to collapse and gradually fade from view.

Typically 4-6 treatments are needed, spaced 1 month apart. Treatments take 30-45 minutes with most patients reporting only minimal discomfort with no topical numbing necessary. You can be in and out during your lunch hour!

Preventing Spider Veins
Although genes and hormones can contribute to varicose and spider veins, simple lifestyle changes can help prevent new unsightly veins from appearing and keep existing ones from getting worse.

Exercise
Poor circulation, which can cause spider and varicose veins, is often the result of being sedentary. So get up and move around! Find an exercise routine you enjoy and stick to it. Swimming is great as it promotes circulation while taking pressure off your legs.

And, at the very least, if you’re stuck at a desk all day (or in a car/on a plane), get up and walk around for five minutes every hour or so.

Working out not only helps promote circulation, it will also help you maintain a healthy weight, which will also reduce your chances of developing varicose and spider veins.

Take Breaks from Standing
Just as you want to avoid sitting for long periods of time, try to avoid standing for long periods as well. If you don’t have that luxury, though, and have to be on your feet all day, make sure you’re wearing supportive shoes, take breaks to sit down, and prop your feet up when you can (to facilitate circulation). This will not only help take the pressure off your legs, but your joints and back will thank you.