Blood vessels larger than a pencil are called varicose veins. Varicose veins are unattractive diseased veins that have lost the ability to return blood from the legs to the heart and lungs against the force of gravity. These bulging, swollen veins usually cause aching, tired legs at the end of the day. Varicose veins may cause night cramping, burning and itching in the legs as well as other symptoms. When left untreated, varicose veins may lead to the formation of blood clots, phlebitis and bleeding ulcers.
Many women suffer from the embarrassment of spider and varicose veins visible on their legs.
Although these veins are primarily inherited, they can worsen after having children, from occupations requiring prolonged standing, obesity, high impact aerobics, or for no particular reason at all. Spider and varicose veins can occur due to hormone fluctuations, including puberty, pregnancy, menopause, oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy. Leg veins can also appear after an injury to the leg or a broken bone. With a means of treatment as safe and effective as the YAG laser, there is simply no reason to live with this problem. YAG is a process that uses strong pulses of light to damage an affected area without doing harm to light to fair colored skin.