Well, sometimes we don't dare wear short shorts if we're over forty and women DEFINITELY do NOT sport the shorties if they have those icky blue spider veins. You know the ones I'm talking about, right?
If you've got them you're not alone. Women's Health says about 50 to 55 percent of women and 40 to 45 percent of men in the United States suffer from some type of vein problem. Contributing factors for varicose veins and spider veins are age, pregnancy, hormonal changes (like taking birth control pills) and sun exposure.
What can you DO about them? Ladies with severe cases prefer to cover them up with clothes or makeup. You can self-tan the beejeezus out of 'em till you're an orange Smurfette, but most people think the only way to remove these roadmap veins is with laser treatments.
I found a few alternatives to laser treatments for spider veins that will make your little spidies disappear like a magic trick.
Asclera
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| This is the before (top photo) and after (bottom) from the Asclera website. Results at 26 weeks after treatment |
Asclera is an injectable sclerosing agent. That means it's something that once injected, it irritates the interior walls of the vein, so the vein constricts and closes. No more blood going into that vein means no more blue roadmaps, swelling, bulging or discomfort. The Asclera website says you might need 2 or 3 sessions and a topical anesthetic is usually applied to numb the injection site.
Jeanine over at Celebrity Laser Spa, an upscale med spa in Brentwood, told me that TIS THE SEASON for getting Asclera injections. It's a popular time of year now cuz women all over Los Angeles are getting ready for summer and teeny skirts and sundresses. She's the physician's assistant there at Celebrity Laser Spa and told me that you might need to wear bandages for a day afterwards, and sometimes there's a little bit of bruising. But hello? No more Blue Veins ! You can also get salt water injected into your veins - it does the same thing, but asclera works much better.
I saw this performed on the Dr. Oz show, and the results were INSTANT. Small varicose veins or spider veins dissappear and are GONE FOREVER.
Sessions run an average of $400 - $700. The cool thing about Celebrity Laser Spa, is that they have a low-price guarantee. Their website says you can bring in a quote or coupon from somebody else and they'll match it. As long as you don't have a severe case of spidies, or any heart problems, this treatment may be for you.
Get a free consultation at Celebrity Laser Spa, 1661 San Vicente Blvd. Ste. 101, Los Angeles, California 90049. Dr. Alex Kaplan is the owner and medical director. Their number is (310) 312-1231.
Venacura
This alternative is a pill meant to reduce the appearance of varicose and spider veins, strengthen your vein walls and valves and improve vein circulation and overall health. You take it once a day and start seeing results anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months, depending on the severity of your case. Effects are cumulative. Also available in a cream.
The key ingredient in this is Diosmin95, an ingredient that reportedly not only helps with spider veins but also provides relief from swelling and inflammation, leg ulcers and hemorrhoids. Diosmin95 hasn't been evaluated by the FDA, but the company gives a 100% money back guarantee minus an $8.00 restocking fee.
The Right to Bare Legs
Joan Rivers, the comedianne with the gift of gab and the gift of 2 facelifts, a keg of Botox and an eyetuck endorses this one. And don't laugh, cuz Joan has some very innovative products - like the mascara-like stuff you put on your scalp to camouflage hair thinning. Brilliant. [I digress but somebody please tell Valerie Bertinelli about this one - did you SEE her hair in the rental store commercial? It looked like the parting of the Red Sea.....a little Joan humor here.]
Anyway, this product is for all leg imperfections - tatoos, spider veins, stretchmarks, freckles, scars, bruises. It has a unique sponge tip applicator and is waterproof and exercise-proof and won't rub off on your clothes if you wait 10 minutes. I saw the infomercial and before and after pics and I'm impressed! If this stuff can cover up a tatoo, it can surely help you with any little blue veins. If you can't do Asclera right now, this might just be the cover-up of the season.
How do you prevent these little blue spidies from showing up in the first place? Women's Health tells us you can reduce your chances of getting varicose veins and spider veins by wearing sun protection, exercising regularly, and they advise you don't sit or stand or cross your legs for a long period of time. Eating less salt and keeping your weight down helps too. Sometimes, the road-map-on-your-legs-syndrome, is just hereditary. But at least now you know -- you have a lot of options.
Getting off the Blue Line Train,
The Anti-Aging Analyst
