By ANNE MOORE
Oh oh. Swimsuit season is upon us. Some of us shy
away or absolutely refuse to go out in public wearing
shorts, short skirts or the dreaded sunbathing attire.
Among other body parts, legs play a major role
in this dilemma. And it is a dilemma — it gets hot in San
Antonio. So what steps can you take to get to the it’s-OK-tobare-
my-legs stage?
Exercise is important, of course, if your lower extremities
need some toning. Then there’s that pushing-away-from-the table
move if there’s more than toning involved.
Next, you might want to address the purple road maps on
your legs caused by problem veins — most commonly, varicose
veins and spider veins. Varicose veins are those large, twisty
veins that develop in the leg or ankle because of malfunctioning
valves in the vein, causing the blood to pool.
You may be prone to these because of heredity or the aging
process. Other causes include pressure from being overweight
or pregnant, smoking or standing or sitting for long periods of
time. Symptoms include visible veins, heavy or painful legs and,
sometimes, changes in skin color or texture.
Self-treatments include wearing compression stockings, elevating
your legs, exercising, controlling your weight and avoiding
sitting or standing for long periods of time. Sometimes anti-coagulant
medicines are prescribed to treat deep-vein blood clots.
There are a variety of ways to treat varicose veins, including
some new, non-surgical methods. These include:
Sclerotherapy. A solution is injected into your affected
veins. This is usually repeated in three or four 30-minute
appointments, depending upon the condition of your veins.
Miniphlebectomy. Used in small and large veins — tiny
pinpoint holes are made with a needle, and specialized instruments
are then used to remove segments of the vein through
these openings.
Laser. Laser therapy can be used instead of injecting chemicals
on spider and larger veins. Some lasers have both long- and shortwave-
length capacities. This treatment is not too uncomfortable
and is less expensive than more invasive procedures.
Endovenus. This fairly new procedure can be used to treat
larger varicose veins. Using radio frequency waves through a
catheter, the procedure destroys the saphenous vein (the major
source of varicose veins). It can be done under local anesthesia
on an outpatient basis.
Laser-Assisted Saphenous Endoablation. Just as in
endovenus treatment, this procedure uses a catheter to deliver
laser energy instead of radio frequency waves to destroy the
saphenous vein. The procedure is performed in a clinic or outpatient
facility under local anesthesia, which keeps pain and
downtime to a minimum.
Ligation. Used for large, problematic varicose veins, this procedure
involves tying off veins to break connections. Ligation is
performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure and
is sometimes combined with another procedure.
WHAT ABOUT SPIDER VEINS?
These little spider-webby-looking veins can usually be treated
by nonsurgical means. Locally, there are several places specializing
in the treatment of veins. One of them, Veintec, was
started right here in San Antonio by vascular surgeons David J.
Mozersky and Alfred L. Laborde.
At Veintec, you’ll find all the services and procedures mentioned
above. The goal is to guarantee patients with varicose
and spider veins that treatment will be administered by trained
vascular surgeons, using the most advanced technology available.
There are now Veintec clinics in major Texas cities,
Oklahoma City and Santiago, Chile, with more in development
for other cities and countries.
The Texas Vein Clinic is operated by the South Texas
Radiology Group. In addition to the full range of techniques
mentioned, they use EndoVenous Laser Treatment, a process
using a catheter to deliver the impulse. Patients usually experience
immediate relief with limited pain. Recovery time is minimal,
so patients can normally go back to work the next day.
HOW ABOUT THAT UNSIGHTLY HAIR?
It’s true; here in the United States we don’t get our groove
on seeing hairy legs. Or underarms. Or hair on a woman’s face.
So another step towards legendary legs involves smooth skin.
Here are places offering both hair removal and some vein
removal procedures locally:
Skin Concepts uses dual-wave lasers to remove hair from
the legs and body and to remove spider veins. These dualwave
lasers provide coverage of a larger area and can be used
on all skin types. Skin Concepts also makes available slight
sedation administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist for
an additional minimal fee. As with most lasers, theirs has an
intrinsic mechanism to cool the skin. If you need several treatments,
they are half-price after the sixth visit. And they can
remove tattoos with lasers.
Genesis Med Spa is a new facility on I-10 that treats spider
veins and cellulite, removes hair with laser treatments and provides
Lipodissolve for fatty areas. You may have seen Philip
Czekaj, M.D., the physician at Genesis, on the San Antonio
Living television show or as a resident expert on the WOAI
Web site.
The Skin Renewal Center in New Braunfels uses the
Cutera Cool Glide Laser, which can also be used on tanned
or dark skin tones. It can be used to treat spider veins and
some larger veins.
The Well-Power Center also uses the
Cutera Cool Glide Laser. As mentioned
previously, the unique design with the
longer wave lengths and cooling system
can be used to remove hair from all skin
types and tones. The laser services also
include treatment for veins. Well-Power
provides many other approaches to the
overall health of the whole person.
The Skin Institute uses the specialized
MeDioStarXT laser to get to the root of
hair. This laser can also treat larger skin
areas or can selectively remove hair from
the face, underarms and bikini areas. Here
they use sclerotherapy (injections) to treat
varicose and spider veins. At your request,
they will discuss your procedure with your
physician. Dr. Robert Bertoldo has completed
several specialty residences and has
gained experience studying and treating a
myriad of skin problems as a retired chief
flight surgeon and as a participant in
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Desire Laser and Medical Spa uses
the Lightsheer Diode Laser for removal
of unwanted hair. To treat spider and
varicose veins, they offer two lasers and
foam sclerotherapy, whereby the veins
are injected with medication to make
the veins collapse and fade. For treatment
of varicose veins, ultrasound is
used first to determine the severity.
(There is a charge for the ultrasound.)
Then, a Dornier Laser is used to destroy
the saphenous vein. According to Dr.
Alberto Belacazar, over 25 million people
suffer from varicose veins.
Endovenous and microphlebectomy are
procedures used at Desire.
If you seek professional care, treatments
are determined at the first medical
appointment, where a physician addresses
your history and lifestyle and physically
examines the problematic area(s). You
will be presented with treatment
options, risks, possible complications or
side effects, an estimate of costs and, of
course, the benefits you’ll derive. Many
times, insurance will cover these procedures,
so be sure to check with your
insurance carrier.
WHAT CAN BE DONE
ABOUT PALE SKIN?
Tan is beautiful. And slimming. But
the smart tan is a sprayed-on tan or the
tan acquired from the lotions or creams
you apply at home. NOT the tan from the
harmful rays of the sun or from a lightsourced
tanning booth.
So beautiful summer legs are toned,
tanned, hairless and veinless. Time to
get busy.
