 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Goodbye to spider veins A revolutionary new treatment called Veinwave promises to shift unsightly spider veins which more than half the female population suffer from. A NEW treatment to zap thread veins has just arrived in Britain to address the problem that affects 55 per cent of women. Called Veinwave, the treatment was developed in France and is claimed to have immediate results. Thread veins, also called spider veins, are targeted one by one with what looks like a ballpoint pen. A high-frequency current is sent through a very fine needle to each vein in turn. The heat is intense and causes the wall of the vein and the blood within it to break up or coagulate. "They immediately disappear and will not come back," says Dr Jean Luc Richard, a vascular specialist at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris who has been using Veinwave for the past 14 months. "There is no risk of complications. It is safe, quick and pain-free. It's a 'walk in, walk out' treatment." Thread veins are extremely common. They are often inherited or caused by pregnancy, being overweight, excessive heat or a knock. Existing treatments either involve using a laser or injecting a sclerosant, an inflammatory solution which irritates the wall of the vein so it then collapses. Veinwave takes a different approach called thermo-coagulation — often used in surgery. Emma Bailey, 26, a recruitment consultant from north London, was one of the first people in Britain to test out Veinwave. She could see the thread veins simply disappear on her leg as each one in turn was treated. "You can feel it, you know it's going on but it's not like an injection. It's more like a pin prick," she says. A session lasts just 10-15 minutes, but practitioners say that 40-50cm of thread veins can be treated in that time and on any part of the body. The treatment leaves no bruising. Instead, there are often small red marks which then become micro-crusts, or scratches. These are gone within a couple of days. "Veinwave has all kinds of advantages over the alternative treatments for thread veins," says Dr Brian Newman, a consultant vascular surgeon in Manchester who has been involved in developing and testing the procedure. "Sclerotherapy cannot be used on veins with a diameter of less than 0.3mm, which rules out most thread veins. It cannot be used on the feet or face and it also requires bandages. Laser treatments can target veins of less than 0.3mm but there can be a risk of burns and pigmentation." Veinwave is not suitable for anyone with a pacemaker, or who is pregnant or an epileptic. "I'm really pleased with the outcome," says Emma. "The thread veins have completely gone. It seems a very easy way to get rid of them and it didn't even hurt." Veinwave is available from clinics nationwide. For further information and details of your nearest practitioner telephone 01204 842830 or visit the website at www.veinwave.com. DAILY EXPRESS |
     |