Varicose veins and telangiectasia (spider veins) are the visible signs of an underlying venous insufficiency problem, where venous blood escapes from the normal flow of blood into an already congested leg.
Spider Veins are a mild form of venous insufficiency, which are cosmetically unappealing, but generally not dangerous or health threatening.
Varicose Veins are a more serious form of venous insufficiency that can accompany other symptoms, including pain, soreness, burning, aching, throbbing, cramping, muscle fatigue, and restless legs. Over time, chronic venous insufficiency can lead to skin and soft tissue breakdown.
Venous insufficiency is caused by valves in the veins that have broken down. These valves prevent blood flow back to the arteries. If their integrity is compromiseD, blood can accumulate and collect. This condition in aggravated in people who are sedentary or obese and likewise aggravated by hormonal imbalances found in pregnancy or with the use of HRT and chemical birth control.
TREATING VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY
There are several extra steps you can take for the treatment of spider veins and varicose veins.
Nutrition: Several changes in diet can help with the appearance of spider and varicose veins. There are several herbs, listed below, that will keep blood thin and flowing smoothly. Also consider the nutrients required to keep veins and capillaries strong. Increasing your intake of monounsaturated and saturated fats can help. All cells replace themselves on a regular basis, including the cells in your circulatory system. A diet heavy in polyunsaturated fats is inadequate for tissue repair and can often excerbate the problem with an increase of free radicals. Your body requires cholesterol and saturated fats for the building of strong cell walls. If you have been eating mostly seed oils, your body is not getting the right kind of fats. Consider switching to olive oil for salad dressings and coconut oil and butter for cooking. Also, the dietary enzyme bromelain can improve overall circulation by reducing the build up of fibrin along the walls of the blood vessels. It is very inexpensive, and good for circulation disorders of all kinds.
Cleansing: When cleaning your skin, use your wash cloth or loufah to massage the area around the broken veins first in a circular motion and then in a brushing motion upwards towards the bowels. This will improve circulation.
Other Treatments:
Dry Skin Brushing: Learn to dry brush your skin at least once per day. Skin brushing provides several benefits. First of all, it’s “exercise” for you skin and the underlying veins and capillaries. It stimulates the growth and repair of the tissues by increasing blood flow to the area. It also helps remove the blood that has leaked out from the capillaries by diffusing it into the interstitial fluids for removal. Dry brushing is good for you skin all over, but if you are suffering from spider or varicose veins, brushing these areas very gently in a circular motion and then upwards towards the colon, several times per day, can improve their appearance.
Hormones: Spider veins are often associated with the use of HRT and birth control pills. High levels of estrogen from these medications seem to aggravate venous insufficiency. If you are using birth control pills for contraception, you may want to ask your doctor for a lower-estrogen dose formula. If you are on HRT, you may want to consider switching to a lower dose, adding progesterone, or using a weaker formula, such as an estrone cream.
Habits: Do try to elevate your legs to hip level for a few minutes several times a day. Frequency is more important than the amount of time in this case. Get out of the habit of crossing your legs, knees and ankles as well. If you have a desk job, try to spend a few minutes walking every hour. If you have a job that requires standing, try to sit and elevate your feet to hip level once every hour.
Many of the nutrients and supplements listed below may be within your budget and available to add to your skin care regimen. Note that some are best used internally (like vitamins and minerals) and others are for topical application only.
Table - Natural Internal Treatments for Venous Insufficiency
Brewer’s yeast
Bromelain
Broom, Butcher's (Ruscus aculeatus)
Chestnut, Horse (Æsculus hippocastanum)
Co-Q10
Ginkgo Biloba
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
Grape seed extract
Green Tea
Hawthorn Berry
Horsetails (Equisetum arvense)
Lecithin
MSM
Vitamin A
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Zinc
Table - Natural External Treatments for Venous Insufficiency
Broom, Butcher's (Ruscus aculeatus)
Chestnut, Horse (Æsculus hippocastanum)
Dead Sea Salts
Ginkgo Biloba
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
Grape seed extract
Green Tea
Hawthorn Berry
Horsetails (Equisetum arvense)
Kelp
MSM
Senkyu (Cnidii Rhizoma)
Vitamin K
White Willow (bark)
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Painful varicose veins should always be evaluated by your physician as they may require surgery. If you have asymptomatic varicose veins, it’s a good idea to tell your doctor during your regularly scheduled check up so she can be aware of any possible vascular disease or disorder.
Many new commercial cosmetic procedures are available for the reduction of spider veins and varicose veins, however many of them are simply not justifiable affordable for the average person. Even if such procedures are used, natural, inexpensive at-home treatments can increase the success of expensive procedures and prevent a future repeat of symptoms.
