You may not control if and when spider veins surface on the hands, legs, or other areas throughout the body, but thanks to Dr. Mimi Lee’s “Itsy-Bitsy-Spider-Veins” treatment plan, you’re anything but powerless when it comes to fighting this irritating and often painful problem.
Whether you’re tired of the nagging discomfort of spider veins or you’re just sick of looking at them (or both), Dr. Mimi Lee, M.D., P.A., can intercept the problem early on with cutting-edge sclerotherapy treatments and save you years of hassle and discomfort in the process.
But with a treatment as low-key and convenient as sclerotherapy, does it really matter that much if you have it done earlier rather than later?
In this guide, we’ll explain why early spider vein treatment is the best practice when it comes to swiftly and preventively eliminating spider veins and the more serious issues they can evolve into.
Why Does Early Treatment of Spider Veins Matter?
While they are a typically benign issue in the early stages (save for pain and discomfort in some cases), spider veins can turn from an eyesore to more serious issues in a surprisingly short amount of time.
Neglecting treatment for this issue can invite several more serious complications, including:
Increased pain: Whether or not you noticed pain as the spider veins first began to appear, leaving them untreated can cause progressively increased pain and discomfort, including feelings of heaviness, aching, throbbing, and burning.
Worsening appearance: Like many health issues, spider veins usually manifest gradually. If detected early enough, the problem may present as one or two small, purple-ish lines. However, neglecting the problem will invite it to spread through the originally affected veins and into nearby blood vessels as well.
Potential skin problems: When allowed to develop over longer periods of time, spider veins can worsen from one or two isolated “squiggles” to large patches of red, purple, or brown skin. In addition to this discoloration effect, they can also cause venous ulcers, which are open sores that come with discomfort and a high infection risk, among other problems.
Bruising and Bleeding: Neglecting spider veins can cause enough of a pressure increase in the affected veins to cause capillaries (small, delicate blood vessels) to burst. The bleeding that results can irritate and inflame surrounding tissues. The skin covering affected areas is also much weaker and more susceptible to bruising.
Suffice it to say, spider vein treatment is a classic case of “minor inconvenience now or serious problem down the road.” And thanks to Dr. Lee’s patient-centered sclerotherapy treatments and flexible scheduling, you can forget the inconvenience!
Speaking of treatments, it’s time to get to the good news: there is a simple, proactive treatment out there that can prevent all of these issues.
What’s the Best Early Treatment Approach for Spider Veins?
We’ve made a couple mentions of sclerotherapy. Derived from the Greek word for “hard,” sclerotherapy is a highly effective, minimally invasive treatment designed to harden and close spider veins.
In this treatment, Dr. Lee injects the spider vein(s) with a solution that is formulated to cause a controlled injury to the walls of these blood vessels. The vein walls swell up and collapse into each other, eventually causing the vein to harden as scar tissue is laid down in the area.
In response to the vein collapsing, the body will divert blood through other vessels, and the injected spider vein will eventually die off and fade away permanently.
Sclerotherapy is an excellent choice for a proactive approach to spider veins and the additional issues they can cause because:
- Well-tolerated and minimally invasive treatments
- No incisions or stitches
- Very little downtime
- Permanent effects
- Cost-effective spider vein solution
With successful treatment, each vein that is injected will not return. However, this doesn’t guarantee that the underlying issues that caused the spider veins in the first place won’t continue to do so in the future—that’s where the “homework” component comes in.
Keeping Spider Veins at Bay After Sclerotherapy Treatment
Rather than memorizing a laundry list of dos and don’ts, it’s best to understand what your blood vessels need to function optimally, as this will allow you to better recognize and resolve the contributing factors unique to your situation.
For example, circulation is absolutely key in preventing spider veins. This means avoiding sitting or standing for too long, elevating your legs if needed, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding tight clothing, and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Many people overlook the fact that nutrition, along with drug and alcohol use, can also affect the strength and functionality of your blood vessels. Smoking cigarettes and excessive alcohol consumption are both associated with spider veins. Poor diet can also affect blood vessel integrity, as can some prescription (and illicit) drugs.
The third major “bucket” you can be weary of when looking to keep spider veins away is sun exposure. Using sunscreen and shading yourself as much as possible when in the sun are highly recommended.
Restore Your Confidence With Leading-Edge Sclerotherapy Treatments by Dr. Mimi Lee, M.D., P.A., of Little Rock, AR
If you’ve just noticed spider veins beginning to emerge and are looking for a proactive approach, Dr. Mimi Lee’s Itsy-Bitsy Spider Veins treatment offers just that.
Our highly trained and experienced vein specialist, Dr. Mimi Lee, M.D., P.A., will deliver a quick and convenient treatment to permanently eliminate spider veins.
Contact our office to set up a consultation and win back your healthy, even-toned skin!