Over 40 years of expert care

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Clinics

Award winning treatment plans

Over 40 years of expert care

Best UK Group & 5 star reviews

Clinics

Award winning plans

Understanding the difference between Thread and Varicose Veins

VARICOSE VEINS

In order to work properly, veins are equipped with valves that help our blood flow in the correct direction backtracking, but when those valves fail, then Thread and Veins can form.

Veins and Spider Veins however are two different leg problems that need to be in varying, case-dependent, ways.

Spider Vein or Varicose Vein: What’s the difference?

are a common problem, occurring in roughly 15% of men and 25% of women. They are small, thread-like purple or red lines with a maximum of around 1mm that rest very near the of the skin. Thread veins are flat and very rarely protrude outwards or create a bump.

They occur when blood lose their and widen. Factors that attribute to Facial thread veins veins include genetics, minor injury, sun damage, weight gain, pregnancy, age, hormones, history of blood clots and excess pressure ( can cause thread veins on the face).

They can be found on the and  including .

Very fine or light spider veins are usually just cosmetic and can often be addressed by a specialist with laser treatment or micro .

are large veins, often with a of ¼ of an inch or more. They will grow from their original size and can be and itchy for sufferers, with throbbing and tired legs a common occurrence. In terms of appearance, varicose veins can somrtimes be blue or purple in colour. They often sit close to the the surface of the skin and can have a bumpy or lumpy or look.

The damaged veins occur when valves that blood around our body fail, and cause a ‘reflux’ of blood in the . Like spider veins, the factor in a vein is genetics, but weight gain, pregnancy, age and long of standing are also often to the .

veins are a issue and always need to be addressed by an experienced surgeon to make sure they are rid of effectively.

The easiest way to understand how veins work is by comparing them to trees

The vein in your body to the heart and is known as the vena cava. There are two of them, the one, which blood from the upper body, and the one we’re interested in, which blood from the legs – inferior vena cava.

The femoral vein is to inferior vena cava and is the longest vein in your body, spanning the length of both your legs. These are paired with an artery and lie deep within groups of muscles. They are connected to superficial veins by veins, which are an essential part of the blood drainage system.

veins like the veins are the ones that lie closest to the skin and are subject to varicose. They carry less blood than deep veins and play an important part in the body. These veins become varicose when their valves stop functioning properly, causing blood to pool and the vein to become large and .

are usually blue or purple, with a torturous, raised . They can become itchy, cause you when and they can also be . Despite the limitations they can impose on a person, the NHS won’t usually treat them despite a change in guidelines in 2013, but in 10% of cases, those who leave their Varicose Veins untreated end up developing venous ulcers, which cause leg wounds and can be rather painful.

The of superficial veins that extend from far larger ones are known as . These are tiny blood vessels that often appear in blue and red of thin lines. They aren’t raised like Veins and since they don’t hurt, their is often seen as a cosmetic . However, the Edinburgh Vein Study (2000) showed that 30% of those with Thread Veins ended up developing veins.

What are the treatment options for varicose veins?

To t you used to have to rely on Vein and go under general anaesthesia to have unwanted veins removed from your body. Not pleasant.

In fact, the National of Clinical (NICE) its guidelines in July 2013 to for Vein (75.7% rate) to only be used in rare cases, and that instead, such veins should be treated by or .

Before and after EVLA .

a very thin laser-tipped fibre being and guided through your veins to the very edge of the unhealthy one. As the fibre is pulled back, the laser tip works to collapse the vein’s walls so that the whole of it is eradicated all the way down to its deep vein source. By that whole branch completely ensures that the trunk only to the remaining healthy branches – thus the problem right in the bud. EVLA treatment is minimally-invasive, performed as a day case under local anaesthetic. It’s success rate has helped it to be recognised as

uses radiofrequency heat energy to shrink and close off varicose veins.  The within the vein wall shrinks which stops blood from through the vein. As the blood is blocked from through the valve it empties before off completely. The blood is re-routed to deeper healthy veins, and the varicose vein will be absorbed by the body over time. Performed in clinic, under local anaesthetic – like EVLA treatment, RFA is also recommended by NICE as a Gold Standard varicose vein treatment.

At The Clinic, we also offer which uses a adhesive to close varicose veins. This is a great treatment for patients who have a needle phobia as VenaSeal only requires a single per vein. An  is used to guide the small catheter through the affected veins which dispenses small amounts of medical grade Sapheon Glue. The vein will then close and be gradually absorbed by the body.

We also have and available for those that are not suitable for EVLA or VenaSeal treatments.

What are the treatment options for spider veins?

are better suited to MicroSclerotherapy or laser treatments such as .

involves injecting a solution into the small veins which forces them to collapse. It’s a and way to surface thread veins on the legs. Due to the nature of thread veins, it is often difficult to achieve complete removal of each thread vein with just one micro treatment. We recommend 2-3 treatment sessions spaced 6 weeks apart. The best visible results tend to show from 2 to 3 months after your final treatment.

The of our laser are performed using Cutera CoolGlide. This treatment works by pulses of light energy at the unwanted thread veins which causes the blood within them to coagulate and divert back into veins deeper below the of the skin. Usually, 1-2 are depending on the severity of the veins. Results are noticeable 2-6 weeks after treatment, but the best results are seen after 2 months.

Before and after for Thread Veins.

We also offer treatments for and .

Why choose The Private Clinic for spider vein or varicose vein treatment?

We’ve the use of EVLA treatments and are proud to say that we are one of the UK’s most vein treatment centres.

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• , MD, FRCS (Gen), FRCS (Gen Surg). GMC Number:
  
• , MBChB, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Gen Surg). GMC Number:
  
• , MBBS, MS, FRCS (Gen), FRCS. GMC Number:
  
• , MBBS, FRCS (Gen, Surg.), MS in Surgery. GMC Number:
  

We offer vein treatment consultations at our , , , and clinics and consultation rooms.

To find out more about vein or to book a consultation, please call  or use our .

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About The Clinic

The Clinic is a multi award group with clinics across the UK. We have over 40 years’ experience in offering the best in advanced invasive non and expert led surgical in our and hospitals. Our are all registered with and we are by the . The CQC is an independent regulator for health and social care in . Last review March 10th 2023.

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