We often joke that the best thing you can do to avoid developing leg veins is to choose your parents well. 

Genetic predisposition is the key factor in predicting the likelihood of this condition existing. 

However, with all things genetic, other factors also play a role. 

Pregnancy plays a big part in the worsening of this condition.

Also, any condition that involves pressure developing in the abdomen or pelvis can aggravate leg veins.

Other things to keep to a minimum to avoid developing or worsening this condition include: 

• being overweight
• prolonged standing
• lack of exercise, specially aerobic (30 mins, 5 times a week)

While most people who come to our clinic to learn about treating their leg veins are doing so because they are concerned with the cosmetic impact of the veins (i.e. they don’t look great!).

But the problems caused by leg veins can be far more serious than just looking unattractive.

When veins swell they can look bruised and become painful. They can discolour and create skin texture changes, adding to the visual impact of the veins. 

They can also induce itching, dryness and eczema and aching. 

In late stage, veins can develop ulceration and thrombophlebitis, which can lead to infection and more serious issues including veins blocking in and around vital organs. 

For this reason, we do recommend those with significant leg veins get reviewed for treatment and consider taking action to ensure these more serious issues do not develop.

Treatment options range from simple and low-tech to quite invasive laser and surgery options. 

The right option for you depends on the type of veins you have and the extent of development of the condition.

The simplest option available is compression stockings, which tightly compress the legs and re-align the veins to cease bulging and protruding from the leg. 

Microsclerotherapy is available for smaller, superficial veins. This option involves injecting the veins with a solution that helps these non-essential veins to die off and disappear. 

Sclerotherapy is a similar technique, but is used for bigger or deeper veins we call “incompetent” veins. This process involves ultrasound guided injections into the veins. It is more invasive and, therefore, a bigger procedure than the microsclerotherapy, but can be equally effective.

Laser ablation (EVLT) of deep incompetent vessels is available where it’s deemed suitable. This involves a laser treatment to neutralise the veins, much as sclerotherapy does, but can be a quicker option to treat the veins. 

For some patient, old-fashioned vein stripping is still the most appropriate treatment, which involves the surgical removal of the protruding veins. This is a serious treatment and must be performed in a hospital theatre so therefore is not a treatment option we offer. However, if we determine this would be the best option for you, we will be happy to refer you to a surgeon we recommend. 

Treatment, regardless of the type, usually requires 2-4 sessions to eradicate most of the visible veins.

It is important to recognise that lifestyle changes after treatment, such as the things listed above, should be seen as an essential part of the treatment process, to avoid the further development of leg veins.

As compression stockings will need to be worn by patients for a week following each treatment, most patients prefer to undergo their treatment in cooler months.

You wont want to undergo treatment before a glamorous beach holiday, because your legs will look worse before they look better. It’s a good idea to leave plenty of time after treatment before events at which you want to bare your legs.

Your legs are likely to need upkeep treatments every couple of years. This is not to say a single run of treatments wont be beneficial in and of itself, but you are likely to develop more veins over time, so retaining great looking legs may require regular attention every few years.