Beauty news

NO PAIN, NO VEIN AND PLENTY OF GAIN!

Mr Sudip Ray, Consultant Vascular Surgeon at The Lido Medical Centre, explains how he manages varicose disease of the leg, a common cause of discomfort or cosmetic concern in warm weather.

The airport, bars and beaches are filling up so summer is definitely on the way. Unfortunately sunlovers can be frustrated by the presence of varicose or thread veins on their legs which can dent their confidence wearing shorts, skirts or bikinis. Small patches often resemble a permanent bruise, whilst large or bulging veins may cause aching, heaviness and itching which is even worse in the heat. If you are one of the 20% of the population affected then it’s worth considering the following advice, both to get you through the next few months and if you are considering permanent leg improvement.

Walk The Walk

Regular activity is beneficial for most circulatory conditions. Going for one of Jersey’s famous walks (www. jersey.com) will reduce the pressure in your veins by up to 80%, and also burns up the fat which surrounds and constricts working veins. Even if you walk less than the magical 10000 steps per day, simply doubling the number of steps you do take cuts your risk of serious circulatory and cancer disease by half. Your walking speed is irrelevant to this risk so it really doesn’t matter if you’re a hare or a tortoise! Elevating legs on a stool relieves vein swelling and tiredness at the end of a hot day, and a cold water spray helps divert blood away from the skin which has a soothing effect. Simply wading into St Brelade’s Bay or lolling in a swimming pool applies the same hydrostatic pressure to your leg veins as wearing compression stockings, and is far more relaxing.

Take The Plunge

Nobody likes visiting a surgeon! However there are now several keyhole methods which successfully improve the looks and symptoms of vein disease and can be performed with minimal discomfort at the time or afterwards. It’s easy to get a specialist opinion and ultrasound scan so that a bespoke treatment plan can be provided which one can consider and discuss with family or friends. Topdoctors. co.uk is a good source of individualised patient reviews but beware generic Googling advice which may not apply to your case.

HEAT, SHOOT AND LEAVE

The advent of new technology means that even larger varicose veins can be treated using keyhole methods such as microwave thermal sealing or a medical superglue which is shot into the abnormal vein and closes it in seconds.

Since only a local anaesthetic is given the patient can leave the clinic immediately after our traditional cup of tea and Jersey butter biscuits. Regular walks after treatment aid the healing process and most patients return to normal activities within a few days.

For spider or thread veins an outpatient session of microsclerotherapy using a tiny Botox needle may be sufficient to close them down, but can take 2-3 months to achieve the final cosmetic result.

Look A Bit Deeper

For a more permanent solution there are specialist procedures available for both small (cosmetic) and large (aching) veins. There is almost always a feeding vein beneath the area of disease which requires treatment and a simple ultrasound scan can locate this.