For those of you that look at your legs and see roadmaps of the northern United States, what your looking at is not varicose veins. These are “spider veins”, aptly named for there leggy, serpinginous looks. They are a visual annoyance and are major reason why the sarong was invented. The good news is that everyone gets them to some degree, they are treatable, and most importantly they are not a sign of bad circulation like their severe counterparts- varicose veins. The most common question is- how does one avoid getting them. Well, aside from living in an anti-gravity chamber or moving to Mars, there are techniques to minimize gravity's effects and keep the blood from pooling and breaking these superficial blood vessels. Wearing some sort of mild to moderate compression on the legs, particularly when exercising, is the most preventable thing that can be done. Those 1980's lycra workout pants are more functional than stylish in these circumstances. By wearing them during exercise and when standing for long periods of time, one can ward off the development of these vessels. For those that already have enough to speak of, there are remedies. Unfortunately, the most requested technique, laser removal, is the least effective. Technology is still not up to par with lasers for leg veins. It is costly, quite painful and can produce complications as well. Still to this day, the most effective treatment is sclerotherapy. This is a technique that utilizes a series of small injections into the vessels which lead to their dissolution. With the right substance and technique, the procedure can be almost painless with little to no recovery. The number of treatments will obviously depend on the size and number of the leg veins. This is something to discuss with your doctor. So fear not, the road to clear legs need not be paved by road maps of broken veins.Dr. Paul Frank, M.D. Tagged: glam.com, glam, glam media, dr.paul frank, beauty, veins, spider veins [...] [...]