QUESTION :

What can I do to ensure that my legs are ready for summer? I have been embarrassed by the appearance of my legs for years, but this year I have resolved to do something about it. My goal is to be able to wear shorts at the beach without looking at all of these unsightly spider veins!

ANSWER :

Great question! The best thing you can do is to call our office today and set up an appointment for a diagnostic ultrasound and new patient evaluation with Dr. Heird at our York office or Dr. Winand in our Lancaster office. Our physicians will examine you and determine the best treatment plan for you based on your goals.

By having an ultrasound, it allows us to examine the size of the veins and to determine how well the veins are working. Chances are good that if you have extensive spider veins, it is a sign that there could be greater dysfunction in the larger veins just under the surface of the skin that we can’t visually see. If the larger veins are not functioning properly, it leads to increased pressure and swelling in the veins and has a trickledown effect on smaller veins, which later appear as spider veins. Dr. Heird has found that the best results are achieved when we treat the largest most dysfunctional veins first and then finish with treating the spider veins, which are cosmetic. If we only treat the spider veins (as is customary in many dermatology offices) and not the source of the problem, they will continue to reappear over time because we have not treated the main problem.

We look forward to helping you reach your goal of healthy, more youthful appearing legs this year!