Day 260 of 365 - Summer Legs
It's that time of year, when lighter, shorter, more revealing clothing and bathing suits come out. What does that mean for most women? Well, leg care comes to the forefront after perhaps several cold months of keeping them covered and not worrying much about the skin's visual appearance.
Some women go all out, with leg waxing or even laser treatment for hair removal. I'm not one of them. A razor is still my friend, along with gentle depilatory cream for the bathing suit area. I personally can't see going to the expense or discomfort of waxing when I might only get into a bathing suit a few times at most the whole season.
Another leg appearance issue for a lot of women is varicose veins or spider veins. These often occur for the first time during pregnancy and can become more numerous with subsequent ones. They occur due to valves in the leg veins weakening and not closing properly. Aside from pregnancy, other risk factors for developing them are family history, sitting or standing for long periods, being overweight, and general valve weakening as we age.
Some people have no symptoms. Others find that their legs feel tired, heavy and achy. Some have throbbing, cramping, swelling or itching around the veins. For mild symptoms the recommendations include wearing compression stockings (yuck in the summer months!), getting regular physical activity to improve circulation, not sitting or standing longer than 30 minutes without a break, avoiding tight clothing and putting your feet up when you sit.
There are a variety of non-surgical procedures available. A couple involve injections to stop blood flow into the vein. Laser works well on small spider veins. Laser and radiofrequency ablation are used for larger bulging veins. There is also the traditional surgical procedure of stripping the veins, which is usually only done in severe cases. Other treatments are mainly considered elective and are paid for directly by the consumer.
I also searched for and found several recommendations for natural remedies to soothe symptoms and improve the appearance of spider veins and varicose veins. Foods or plant extracts which contain flavonoid compounds are venotonic, meaning they improve the elastic strength and circulation of the veins in general. Some common food groups we can eat for this purpose include: onions, peppers, spinach, broccoli, citrus fruits, grapes, cherries, blueberries, cocoa and garlic. Extracts like grape seed extract, witch hazel, horse chestnut, pycnogel (pine bark extract) can be used topically in a base of oil or gel to massage the affected area and improve circulation.
I developed some clusters of spider veins during my pregnancies. They have never been enough of a concern to me to seek treatment. However, I usually avoid wearing shorts because of the appearance. My summer wardrobe is mainly capri pants, to keep my upper legs covered. People who have pools or cottages, who will be in bathing suits a lot, might choose to have treatments or to cover the discoloration with spray tan. I just accept it as part of my senior constitution, at least in terms of the appearance, and trust that exercise and diet are supporting adequate circulation in my legs.
Some women go all out, with leg waxing or even laser treatment for hair removal. I'm not one of them. A razor is still my friend, along with gentle depilatory cream for the bathing suit area. I personally can't see going to the expense or discomfort of waxing when I might only get into a bathing suit a few times at most the whole season.
Another leg appearance issue for a lot of women is varicose veins or spider veins. These often occur for the first time during pregnancy and can become more numerous with subsequent ones. They occur due to valves in the leg veins weakening and not closing properly. Aside from pregnancy, other risk factors for developing them are family history, sitting or standing for long periods, being overweight, and general valve weakening as we age.
Some people have no symptoms. Others find that their legs feel tired, heavy and achy. Some have throbbing, cramping, swelling or itching around the veins. For mild symptoms the recommendations include wearing compression stockings (yuck in the summer months!), getting regular physical activity to improve circulation, not sitting or standing longer than 30 minutes without a break, avoiding tight clothing and putting your feet up when you sit.
There are a variety of non-surgical procedures available. A couple involve injections to stop blood flow into the vein. Laser works well on small spider veins. Laser and radiofrequency ablation are used for larger bulging veins. There is also the traditional surgical procedure of stripping the veins, which is usually only done in severe cases. Other treatments are mainly considered elective and are paid for directly by the consumer.
I also searched for and found several recommendations for natural remedies to soothe symptoms and improve the appearance of spider veins and varicose veins. Foods or plant extracts which contain flavonoid compounds are venotonic, meaning they improve the elastic strength and circulation of the veins in general. Some common food groups we can eat for this purpose include: onions, peppers, spinach, broccoli, citrus fruits, grapes, cherries, blueberries, cocoa and garlic. Extracts like grape seed extract, witch hazel, horse chestnut, pycnogel (pine bark extract) can be used topically in a base of oil or gel to massage the affected area and improve circulation.
I developed some clusters of spider veins during my pregnancies. They have never been enough of a concern to me to seek treatment. However, I usually avoid wearing shorts because of the appearance. My summer wardrobe is mainly capri pants, to keep my upper legs covered. People who have pools or cottages, who will be in bathing suits a lot, might choose to have treatments or to cover the discoloration with spray tan. I just accept it as part of my senior constitution, at least in terms of the appearance, and trust that exercise and diet are supporting adequate circulation in my legs.
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