Foot Veins & Ankle Veins
One of the most common areas to develop unsightly veins of the body are the ankles and feet. Foot veins and ankle veins develop abnormally in this area more frequently due to the fact that this part of your body if furthest from the heart and is under the highest pressure from gravity effects. When you are sitting or standing, blood tends to “pool,” stagnate and being under pressure in this area. This can cause small capillaries and veins to burst in the skin, leading to abnormal veins appearing at the surface of the skin. They can cluster and multiply over time. Since the ankles and feet are very apparent to everyone while you are wearing sandals, flip flops, flats, or high-heels, the appearance of veins on the ankles and feet can often be embarrassing. It makes your skin appear aged and less youthful. For that reason, many people seek treatment to rid their skin of these unsightly foot veins and ankle veins.
Foot veins and ankle veins can be spider veins, reticular veins, or varicose veins. You can develop one or more types of these foot veins and ankle veins. The most common type of foot veins and ankle veins are spider veins, which are typically purple or red and about the size of pieces of thread. Another name for them is actually “thread veins.” Almost anyone can develop them, but they are most common in the caucasian (i.e. white) race. They also tend to be hereditary, so if you have parents or grandparents with these types of foot veins and ankle veins, then you will be much more likely to develop them as well. They usually form symmetrically, being present on both sides of the body, although one foot or ankle may develop them more than the other side. The tendency to form these veins increases as one age.
Removal of Foot Veins and Ankle Veins
So what are the best way to rid your foot and ankle of these unsightly foot veins and ankle veins? The only effective way to remove veins safely from the skin in this area is to utilize either a medication that is injected into the veins or an external heat device to close the veins, such as laser or Ohmic thermolysis. Traditionally, the most effective way to remove these veins with the least amount of discomfort and cost is medication injection. A micro-needle is used to inject a very small amount of medication into these veins while they are magnified with a microscope-type device. Since the veins tend to be very small, the needle utilized for the procedure is also very small. Using a magnifier helps for a more precise injection of these veins, which improves the results and diminishes the amount of discomfort associated with the treatment. This type of medication injection treatment is referred to as sclerotherapy.
Another common way to treat spider veins on the ankles and feet is the use of lasers or other skin heating devices that use Ohmic thermolysis. Some common trade names for these devices are the VeinGogh device or the VeinWave device. Since the skin of the ankles and skin are very sensitive and thin, heat-based treatments tend to be more uncomfortable than vein injection sclerotherapy.
Which particular cosmetic treatment will be best for your particular situation will be determined by our vein specialists. We offer initial consultations to examine your ankle veins and foot veins in order to provide you recommendations. The cost of the therapy and the estimated number of sessions needed will be provided at the time of your consultation.
