Hi, Nick, Sorry to hijack your topic. But since you have left out the treatment of varicose veins completely, I felt compelled to contribute my 2 cents worth.
I hope you are not suggesting that varicose veins can be treated with some skin care product, it will never work, so don't waste your money. Simple measures like keeping your legs up when resting and wearing compression stocking will be far more effective in controlling varicose veins than any creams.
However, in order to completely get rid of varicose veins, some form of intervention will be needed.
Presently, there are 3 options available.
1. Surgical stripping of the varicose veins. Under general anesthesia, multiple surgical cuts are made to isolate and stripped off the varicose veins. This method is not popular now because it is very invasive and often involves hospitalization and severe post-surgery pain and ugly scars.
2. Endovenous Laser Treatment. In this method, the varicose veins is not pullled off but rather it is closed with Laser energy delivered through a thin laser wire under local anesthesia. The procedure is attractive because it is less invasive, no need for general anesthesia and no ugly surgical scars.
3. Injection sclerotherapy. Here, the veins is closed with chemical rather than laser. The chemical is injected into the vein via multiple needle insertions. While it is very suitable for small spider veins, injection sclerotherapy for big varicose veins are often associated with very high recurrence rate.
you can read more about varicose vein treatment here
http://www.theveinclinic.com.sg/eng/treatment_EVLT.html
wizard
[quote="nick0609"]These are defined as a dilatation of superficial veins due to high pressure in the vein. It is often genetic and can happen in families usually among women. It affects as many as 10% of the population. Due to high pressure usually the valve between the superficial and the deep vein stops functioning and the blood stagnates in the superficial Veins instead of going back to the heart. They cause unslightly bulges in the legs, and present with swelling of the leg, pain eczema, heaviness and fatigue. These veins do not perform any effective function, and their removal or closure only helps the blood to flow through the normal deeper veins and the symptoms disappear.
These varicose veins should be treated before they produce complications which are often irreversible. The complications of varicose veins are
1. Eczema - The skin over the foot ankle and lower legs gets dark pigmentation with thickening of the skin, itching and oozing. This can be cosmetically unsightly and scratching can lead to bleeding and ulcer formation.
2. Bleeding - The walls of the varicose veins are very thin and the pressure in the vein is very high due to stagnation. Thus minimal injury like scratching or direct trauma can cause the veins to rupture, and, due to high pressure can lead to torrential bleeding. Direct pressure can control the bleeding but at times surgical Intervention is required to stop the blood flow. Thus varicose veins must be treated before these serious complications take place.
3. Varicose ulcers - often with long standing varicose veins the skin over the foot Or ankle can break down leading to ulcers which can increase in size and take a long time to heal. If the patient is diabetic this can further lead to infection, bleeding and even gangrene of the foot.
------------------------------
nick
-----------------------------
