The truth about… removing thread veins
Is there a spider web of fine veins spreading across your limbs? We road-test a tough treatment that promises to erase them for ever…
THE SPIEL:
A gruelling technique called microsclerotherapy is widely thought to be the best treatment for reducing the appearance of minute spider and thread veins (faulty veins that no longer work properly) found on the legs. It involves injecting a liquid – sclerosant – into veins to destroy them over time. ‘ The liquid acts as a hardening agent, which irritates the lining of the veins, killing the cells in the vein wall,’ explains Professor Mark Whiteley, a vein and blood specialist. ‘Once the wall is dead, it takes 14 days for the vein to close, then a further six to 12 weeks for the immune system to remove it permanently.’
Because these veins are no longer working, it’s OK to completely close them, as blood will simply pass through your numerous healthy veins instead. Before
treatment takes place, each patient should undergo an ultrasound, which confirms whether the spider veins are superficial or caused by underlying factors, such as varicose veins. Any patient considering microsclerotherapy treatment should insist on this scan, because failing to spot any of these issues will mean the outcome is likely to be disappointing.
THE TESTER: Spots, sunburn and the onset of wrinkles all bother me, but I’ve never been self-conscious about my body. I’m normally the first one to fling on (and frankly throw off ) my bikini, and a committed wearer of limb-revealing garb. Still, my thighs have played host to a veritable party of ultra-fine veins for as long as I can remember. As a child they fascinated me: it’s pretty cool to see such a live and colourful (read purple, red and even green) insight into your body’s inner workings. But as I’ve got older and since I’ve worked in an industry that celebrates perfection – or at least makes it seem attainable – I’ve become increasingly self-conscious. The spider webs seem to have become more prevalent in the last few years as well. The chance to visit Professor Mark Whiteley and ditch them for good proved too hard to resist.
THE REALITY: I can usually breeze through endless blood tests, but the rigours of 90 minutes of back-to-back punctures are something else entirely. Despite Professor Whiteley’s relaxed and charming bedside manner, the constant injections, refilling of syringes and odd, bubbling sensation as the sclerosant entered each vein was overwhelming and, at times, extremely uncomfortable. I squirmed, sweated more than I care to admit, and had to will myself not to dive off the bed and out into the street in my smalls. After each injection the vein in question is compressed by taping a swab to the skin. I relished this brief relief, using it to ponder why the heck I had willingly volunteered for this needle marathon.
THE VERDICT: After the treatment ordeal, there was no discomfort at all. I drove straight out to dinner with friends – who were suitably thrilled by a gory snap of my poor bandaged legs. But be warned: the subsequent bruising can be severe and worsens before it gets better. Then there are the non-negotiable medical-grade compression tights, worn 24 hours a day for 14 days following treatment – even in bed and in the shower. Skip them, or give up early, and the pain will have been for nothing – those spiders will return pronto. My advice, therefore, would be to top up on exercise and – ahem – loving in the weeks prior to your appointment, because this heavy-duty hosiery creates the sensation that you’ve been vacuum packed, and is therefore conducive neither to romance nor, now that I come to think about it, any form of movement at all. After the 14 days is up, your veins might still look red and inflamed, but six weeks later they’ll look good and will continue to get better over the next 18 months.
Typically, a follow-up treatment session is undergone after 12 or so weeks to bust the remaining blighters – a meeting you might not be surprised to hear I politely declined. Because now the bruising and stockings have gone, I’m pretty pleased with the results of my single treatment. The once dense throng of veins across my thighs is now a charming scattering of survivors, which I feel oddly fond of. Yep – this treatment really works. Would I recommend it? If you’re sufficiently bothered by your thread veins then absolutely. If you can ignore them, or are needle-shy, perhaps no….