Busted: Both varicose veins and spider veins are characterized by dilated blood vessels and malfunctioning valves inside of veins, leading to blood back-flow. However, spider veins are thinner visible blood vessels on the surface of the skin, whereas varicose veins are larger and deeper, and often are visible as bulging veins.

Busted: Varicose and spider veins are unsightly, and often our patients feel insecure about the appearance of the veins. However, varicose and spider veins can also cause significant health issues that reduce quality of life. Symptoms include a pain, aching, heaviness, night cramps, itching, restless leg syndrome and swelling. In more severe cases, serious health issues can develop, including Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) that can lead to lead ulceration, phlebitis and deep vein thrombosis.

Busted: Both men and women are commonly affected by varicose and spider veins. The risk increases if a patient has a family history of vein issues. Pregnancy, standing occupations, injuries and advancing age also contribute to the likelihood of developing a varicose veins.

If you have varicose or spider veins, contact Zimmet Vein & Dermatology to schedule a consultation today.

We are proud to announce that Dr. Zimmet has received an exclusive invitation to join the medical team of experts at HealthTap. Through his work with HealthTap, he will help individuals make more informed decisions about their health, connect with users both locally and nationally, and provide reliable advice relevant to dermatology.

HealthTap is a recently-founded company that aims to provide accurate medical advice online. Using a variety of medical professionals nationwide, users will be able to seek out the most up-to-date information. Through expert collaboration, research, and one-on-one interaction, physicians will be able to answer patients’ questions, suggest resources, and create individualized approaches to promoting a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Zimmet is proud to be a part of HealthTap’s cause.

Sclerotherapy, or the injection of a sclerosant into a vein in order to close it and make it dissolve, is an effective way to treat spider and varicose veins. However, not all sclerosants are created equal.

There are two excellent FDA-approved sclerosants, Sotradecol and Asclera.  However, you should be aware that many physicians purchase compounded versions of these sclerosants. These compounded medications have not been subjected to FDA testing to determine safety and effectiveness, and the compounding pharmacies  are not regulated by the FDA.  Furthermore, studies have shown that these compounded sclerosants may be either stronger or weaker than labeled. The variability in potency could cause health issues for patients who end up receiving either much less of the drug or much more than indicated.

While there can be legitimate reasons to have a special medication compounded, in this case it is likely the main reason these compounded versions are used rather than an FDA-approved version is because they are much cheaper.

When considering sclerotherapy for spider or varicose veins, it’s important for both you and your phlebologist (vein physician) to be knowledgeable about what sclerosant is being used. Be sure to ask your physician if they are using FDA-approved sclerosants such as Sotradecol or Asclera rather than compounded agents.

Celebrities in their forties, fifties or sixties can spend thousands of dollars on over the counter creams and plastic surgery. No matter how much cosmetic work they’ve had done, there is one oft-neglected body part that almost always reveals their “true” age- their hands. Hands and lower arm veins become more visible with age, but are often overlooked by patients who are considering cosmetic dermatology procedures.

Ropey veins are more noticeable in middle-aged women who are in-shape and have slender frames since they have little fat to hide the vein’s appearance. Currently, there are three minimally invasive treatments designed to reduce and eliminate appearances of veins.

Sclerotherapy is the injection of a sclerosing agent (such as Sotradecol or Asclera) into the veins, causing them to shrink. This is my preferred method, as advantages include speed of treatment, ease of recovery and lower cost. Most patients see significant improvement in the appearance of their hand veins. It’s also easy to repeat treatment when needed. Disadvantages are that it may take 2-3 sessions to obtain maximal improvement. Allergic reactions and other side effects are possible but rare.

Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT), involves the insertion of a small laser fiber, usually through a needle stick in the skin under ultrasound visualization, into the vein. Pulses of laser light are delivered inside the vein, which causes the vein to collapse and seal shut. Blood flow is diverted to nearby veins, minimizing the vein appearance in hands. The procedure is done in-office under local anesthesia. Advantages of this approach are that treatment is generally effective with one treatment. Disadvantages include high cost, need for local anesthesia, increased risk of skin injury, and potential for longer recovery times. Also, veins to be treated with EVLT need to be relatively straight.

Ambulatory phlebectomy is the removal of veins, under local anesthesia, through small punctures in the skin. Advantages are that usually one treatment session is effective. Disadvantages are that it requires small incisions, local anesthesia, and compression bandages. Bruising is common.

Given that each patient condition varies, Dr. Zimmet begins by taking a medical history and performing a physical examination. While most patients with prominent hand veins can be treated safely, it’s important for the physician to rule out certain underlying conditions before embarking on treatment. Also, it’s important not to close all superficial hand/arm veins in case a need arises for intravenous lines.

This is a well done TED talk on innovation and politics in breast cancer screening. It’s a bit long, but worth watching.