VARICOSE VEINS AND TELANGIECTASIES

Varicose veins - or telangiectasies - are venules of the skin, they are as fine as hairs and shaped like stars or spiders’ legs; they may be blue, violet or red and can become highly visible.

Venules and telangiectasies of the lower limbs are extremely common. They are linked to hereditary and lifestyle factors (a sedentary lifestyle, type of work, pregnancy) and to age. Venules and telangiectasies do not develop into varicose veins if there is no underlying venous disease, but they do still have a tendency to grow outwards as time goes by, thus becoming increasingly visible and unsightly. They can sometimes cause a feeling of heaviness in the legs, cramps or oedemas.

After a precise clinical examination and a Doppler examination to rule out any underlying venous insufficiency, the venules and varicose veins can be treated with micro-phlebectomies under local anaesthetic or, in most cases, by sclerotherapy.

Sclerotherapy consists of using very fine needles to inject a sclerosing product into the unsightly vessel in order to irritate its walls. The local inflammation this causes leads to the destruction of the vessel. This technique is simple and effective and is used at the consultation.

The recovery process can involve small haematomas for 2 to 3 weeks and, more rarely, local pigmentations which are absorbed in a few months.

It usually takes 2 to 3 sessions to obtain the best possible aesthetic result. In theory, the treatment of the vessels is permanent but, even so, we should still point out that this is a disease which can develop over the years and new varicose veins do commonly appear. We usually recommend 1 or 2 annual top-up sessions.