Have you seen the commercials and ads for makeup designed to cover up varicose veins and spider veins? Looks like a pretty simple solution for hiding dark, purple veins that make your legs look older and more worn out, doesn’t it? Like any type of makeup concealer, varicose vein makeup is designed to be applied to the surface of the skin to help hide ugly veins and produce a more even skin tone and a more attractive-looking result. But while it looks like an “easy fix,” varicose vein makeup could be doing a lot more harm than good. Here’s why:
Varicose Veins Are a Sign of a Circulation Problem
Varicose veins form when the tiny valves inside the blood vessels stop working properly. In healthy veins, these small valves open and shut rapidly, keeping blood moving forward. As we get older or when we gain weight, the valves can become weakened or damaged, and that means they don’t open and close the way they used to. As a result, circulation in the area becomes sluggish and blood begins to back up, causing swelling and discoloration that we see as varicose veins or their smaller “relatives”, spider veins.
While applying makeup might hide these veins, it doesn’t do anything to correct the underlying problem. In fact, by covering them up, most patients wind up delaying important varicose vein treatments that could play an important role in their overall vascular health. And because some varicose veins can be a sign of a more serious underlying vascular disease or condition, patients could win up placing themselves at considerable risk by opting for makeup over treatment.
Other Drawbacks
While the medical risks of using makeup and delaying care are certainly the most concerning, there are other reasons not to use varicose vein makeup:
- It’s sticky and rubs off on your clothes and other fabrics. That means legs wind up looking patchy or streaky.
- It’s more difficult to apply than you think. Applying leg makeup for smooth, consistent, natural-looking results takes lots of time, patience and expertise, and even then, the makeup can smudge, rub off or look cakey.
- In bright light including sunlight, makeup is almost always very obvious, and if you wear it on the beach or poolside, contact with the water will wash it away or cause streaks.
- You need a lot to provide adequate coverage. Varicose vein makeup isn’t cheap, and you’ll need to buy lots of it to keep up your appearance. Varicose vein treatment, on the other hand, can eliminate ugly veins once and for all for one price – which may be covered by your insurance.
Find out more about varicose vein treatments.
Dr. Charles Dietzek is a top-ranked provider of varicose vein and spider vein treatment for patients in South Jersey with office locations in Sewell, Voorhees and Vineland. To find out about the most innovative treatment options that can help you get rid of your ugly veins and enjoy better circulation, call Vein & Vascular Institute at 856-309-8346 and schedule your consultation today.