Treating leg veins, Visible Veins on Legs
If you have visible veins on your legs, calf muscles, ankles or thighs, these are usually either thread veins or varicose veins. Not only can they look unsightly, but they can also cause serious discomfort and may be putting you at risk of venous diseases which leave many seeking leg vein treatments.
What causes leg veins?
Thread and varicose veins are caused by damaged veins which occur when the valves inside the veins weaken, and blood is no longer able to easily pass through without accumulating within the vein. The excess blood pressure within the vein then puts pressure on the walls of the veins. This will result in the vein weakening further and bulging blood vessels. Eventually, the vein will show up on your leg as a thread or varicose vein. [1]
Thread veins can also be caused by trauma, hormones, age, and certain medical conditions.
- Find out more about what causes Facial Thread Veins here.
- Find out more about what causes Varicose Veins in the feet and ankles here.
- Related information: The ultimate guide to Thread or Spider Veins, all you need to know.
What are the symptoms of Varicose Veins?
Varicose Vein symptoms include:
- Visible enlarged, swollen, lumpy, bumpy or twisted veins
- Blue veins or dark purple veins
- Leg swelling
- Swollen feet or ankles
- Uncomfortable, heavy or aching feeling in the legs or feet.
- Dry skin in the area of the affected vein
- Skin discoloration including brown skin patches
- Muscle cramps in the leg
- Burning or throbbing sensation in the legs
Untreated varicose veins could go on to cause bleeding that is difficult to stop, skin ulcers, and blood clots which can put you at risk of developing conditions such as thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. [2]
What are the symptoms of Thread Veins?
Thread or spider veins do not typically cause a huge amount of symptoms other than red or blue visible surface veins.
How are leg veins treated?
There are a wide range of treatment options to help treat leg veins that range from self-care to minor procedures. Self-care treatments to help improve blood circulation in your legs include:
- Elevating legs when resting
- Not sitting or standing for long periods of time
- Exercise to improve muscle tone in your legs, which helps to pump blood back to your heart.
- Wearing compression stockings
- Maintaining a healthy weight
These are all great ways to improve circulation in the legs. They should also help to prevent more veins from appearing and may help ease discomfort felt by any existing leg veins. However, they are unlikely to be able to treat leg veins so that they are not visible anymore.
Leg vein treatments such as laser therapy, laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation are some of the most effective ways to remove broken veins from the leg.
Best thread vein leg treatments
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy or microsclerotherapy is an effective treatment that can treat and reduce the visibility of leg thread veins. The treatment involves injecting each leg vein with a sclerosing agent which causes the vein walls to become sticky, and blood is no longer able to pass through. With no blood in the vein, the vein will collapse and be naturally absorbed by the body over time.
Laser Thread Vein
CoolGlide thread vein laser treatment uses laser light to target thread veins and causes the blood within them to coagulate and divert to healthier veins in the leg. The affected vein will then be gradually absorbed by the body. Laser treatments can be an effective thread vein removal method for mild veins.
Thread Vein Treatment Aftercare
Thread vein treatments are performed in-clinic and patients can return to their usual activities almost instantly following treatment. Patients are advised to remain out of the sun following their thread vein treatments and compression stockings are recommended to help with the recovery process.
Thread vein treatment before and after photos
Click here to see more thread vein removal results.
Varicose Vein best leg treatments
EVLA (Endovenous Laser Ablation) or RFA (Radiofrequency Ablation)
EVLA or RFA are NICE’s Gold Standard Varicose vein treatments. The treatments are performed under local anaesthesia in clinic. A catheter is inserted into the leg which then allows laser or radiofrequency energy to heat the vein causing it to collapse, and seal shut. The vein then disappears and the unsightly vein cannot be seen.
Foam Sclerotherapy
Foam sclerotherapy is similar to micro sclerotherapy described above which is used to treat thread veins. Foam sclerotherapy instead uses a thicker foam-based sclerosant to target larger varicose veins.
VenaSeal
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive varicose vein treatment that uses specialised medical-grade glue. The glue is injected into the affected veins using a fine catheter tube and it works to seal the vein’s inner walls before it shrinks and breaks down over time. This causes the vein to disappear.
Phlebectomy
Phlebectomy is a minor surgical procedure that is most effective on large, bulging or twisted surface veins. The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and involves a very small incision being made at the site of the varicose vein and a phlebectomy hook being inserted to pull the leg vein out. Also known as an ambulatory phlebectomies, no stitches are required and there is no need for an overnight hospital stay.
Varicose Vein Treatment Aftercare
All of our varicose vein treatments are minimally invasive, performed in clinic with no need for an overnight stay. Most patients are able to return to work within a few days following treatment. Your legs will be bandaged for around 5 days and compression stockings will need to be worn following your procedure too.
Varicose Vein Treatment Before and After Images
Click here to see more varicose vein treatment results.
Laura’s Varicose Vein Treatment
Laura came to visit us at The Private Clinic after being declined varicose vein treatment on the NHS. Laura felt that her unsightly veins ruined her legs and were affecting her career as a model. She was told that unless her veins were at risk of bleeding out that she would never be accepted for NHS leg vein removal.
After attending a consultation with one of our expert consultant vascular surgeons, Mr Tahir Hussain, she was recommended EVLA treatment for her varicose veins which she decided to go ahead with.
Laura’s EVLA treatment took as little as 30 minutes to perform and one month after the treatment, she was over the moon and felt confident to wear skirts again without worrying about the appearance of her legs.
“I’m looking to get back into modeling, even if it’s just as a hobby, but I have my confidence back and that feels fantastic.”
Read more of Laura’s story here.
Why choose The Private Clinic for Varicose Vein Removal?
At the Private Clinic, we have over 40 years of experience providing the best and latest vein removal treatments and have treated over 7,000 patients concerned about their veins. We work with highly qualified consultant vascular surgeons with extensive field experience.
At The Private Clinic, we provide:
- We are able to offer some of the least invasive methods for varicose veins and thread veins for your legs, body, and face.
- No lengthy downtime or recovery required.
- Our Consultant vascular surgeons are pioneers in EVLA (Endovenous Laser Ablation) and have treated thousands of patients.
- We focus on the underlying cause of your veins, and you will only see a Consultant Vascular surgeon for varicose veins.
- The NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) Gold Standard for treatment of Varicose Veins findings shows that the success rate after five years for EVLA is 95.4%.
- A consultation with one of our Consultant Vascular Surgeons costs £200, including a free duplex ultrasound scan of your legs (usually priced between £350 and £450 at most clinics and private hospitals).
- Treatment takes an average 30-60 minutes; you can go home shortly after being treated.
- We have been able to restore the confidence in many of our patients by avoiding health issues and achieving remarkable results.
- We work with our partnered finance provider ‘Chrysalis Finance’ to offer 0% finance* to our patients. Get in touch to find out more.
Useful Links
- View our extensive varicose vein FAQs
- See our previous varicose vein patient stories
- View varicose vein before and after photo results
- View our varicose veins blogs for more information
- Download our varicose vein treatment brochure
Consultant Vascular Surgeons at The Private Clinic
- Mr Constantinos Kyriakides, MD, FRCS (Gen), FRCS (Gen Surg). GMC Number: 3275436
- Mr Dynesh Rittoo, MBChB, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Gen Surg). GMC Number: 3556456
- Mr Rajiv Pathak, MBBS, MS, FRCS (Gen), FRCS. GMC Number: 4585309
- Mr Ferdinand Serracino-Inglott, MBBS, MSc, FRCS (Gen), DIC MSc, FRCS (plast). GMC Number: 5206200
- Mr Tahir Hussain, MBBS, FRCS (Gen, Surg.), MS Masters in Surgery. GMC Number: 3242669
- Mr Duncan Parry, MBChB, MD, FRCS. GMC Number: 4037844
- Mr Anver Mahomed, MB BCh, FRCS (SA), FRCS (Ed) GMC Number: 4000736
Leg Vein Removal Consultations
The Private Clinic offers varicose vein removal consultations at our clinics in: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Northampton and Leeds.
To find out more about varicose vein treatments or to book a leg vein appointment, please call 0333 920 2471 or use our online contact form.
