Love Your Legs: 7 Tips for Body Positivity With Varicose Veins

Donna* had been looking forward to cooler weather because it is an easy opportunity to hide the ever-present varicose veins on her legs. Summer dresses, shorts, and bathing suits moved to the back of the closet and replaced with long pants, jeans, boots, and baggy clothes. Yet, during a recent charity dinner event, she noticed women of all shapes, sizes, and ages braving the weather for one more chance to wear their favorite dress and confidently show off their legs. Their body positivity was inspiring, instantly leading Donna to wonder why she was allowing her varicose veins to bring on so much anxiety and embarrassment. Varicose veins caused her to stop loving her legs and instead find inventive ways to hide her body from the rest of the world.

Recent studies show that enlarged, twisted veins, which often appear on the legs and feet (you know them as varicose veins), affect approximately 135,000 women and men annually. Spider veins, a smaller variation that can appear alongside much larger varicose veins, impact around 33,000 people. What is worse, a reported 22,000 people regularly experience leg pain and a variety of other painful symptoms as a result of these bulging, twisted veins. What many people do not always share are the body image issues and internal mental shaming that goes on behind the scenes. As a result, many men and women struggle to love their bodies and look at themselves in the mirror.

These are all normal feelings and must be taken seriously. The good news is that there is hope—provided that you allow yourself to embrace body positivity and seek treatment for a possible vein issue.

Do Any of These Emotional Responses to Varicose Veins Sound Familiar?

• Hesitations about showing your legs in public
• Embarrassment about physical changes to your legs and feet
• A general lack of confidence in your body image
• Increased stress, low self-esteem, and anxiety levels
• A sense of isolation and hopelessness while struggling to manage symptoms
• Fear of future health complications
• Financial concerns over future medical bills, treatments, etc.
• Frustrations with ineffective treatments

Are your varicose veins causing you to have body positivity issues? Schedule a consultation with a StrideCare vascular specialist today to help you reclaim healthy legs and a happier, more confident life.

Is It Possible To Love Your Legs with Varicose Veins?

At StrideCare, we want everyone to love their legs and practice self-love year-round, and this is especially relevant in February, the month of Valentine’s Day and the season of love. However, that can be easier said than done when one in every three adults over 45 develops some form of vein disease. Spider veins and varicose veins are typically the first sign that your veins are no longer working as they once did.

The veins in your body are constantly supplying your vital organs with the blood they need to function efficiently and healthily. However, as we age our veins can narrow and vein valves can stop working properly as well.

Think of this process like a kink in a garden hose, where water cannot flow freely. When our veins narrow and valves malfunction, blood flow is impeded and can ultimately flow backward. This results in veins bulging, stretching, and enlarging to compensate for the excess pressure.

Approximately 25 million men and women in the United States suffer from varicose veins. Initially, there may be no symptoms other than unsightly spider veins and varicose veins. If left untreated, uncomfortable leg pain can develop and limit how much you can do in your daily life. This can include the following symptoms:

• Tired, heavy legs
• Throbbing or stabbing pain
• Swelling and achiness
• Numbness and tingling
• Itching, prickling, pulling sensations
• Burning sensations
• Leg cramping

If you are like Donna, your varicose veins may be more of an unsightly condition than a painful one right now, and it may feel impossible to embrace and celebrate your body. There is legitimate psychological trauma and mental health impact that comes with having to deal with varicose veins. The appearance alone can make you feel physically unattractive from head to toe—even though the condition is limited to your legs. These feelings are often made worse by a society that emphasizes flawless appearances.

As a result, even the most outgoing person retreats and becomes increasingly modest. They will often express a negative evaluation of their own body and be highly self-critical as they compare their legs to societal standards. Over time, they may opt for jeans or leggings to avoid exposing their legs, and the negative self-esteem might have a ripple effect on relationships, social activities, and even career opportunities.

What many may not realize is that the stress and anxiety they are experiencing can worsen their varicose veins—in appearance and painful symptoms. When we are stressed, our blood pressure rises, which also means the pressure on our veins rises. This causes our blood vessels to weaken, making it difficult for our heart to pump blood against gravity. Then, our veins malfunction. Blood pools in the legs and lower extremities such as the legs, ankles, and feet—and varicose veins develop.

Leaving your body in a constant state of stress could eventually push you from an asymptomatic state to feeling like your legs are constantly tired, heavy, and occasionally painful.

7 Tips for Living With Varicose Veins and Loving Your Body

Upon visiting your vascular doctor, you may learn that your veins are still functioning despite the ever-present varicose veins. As a result, you and your doctor may decide to take a wait-and-see approach to future treatments. Or it may be that your medical insurance requires you to try conservative treatments—such as exercise, dietary changes, and compression stockings—before a vascular procedure is approved. In these moments of having to live with varicose veins for an unspecified period, it is important to know that you are not alone and that acknowledging your feelings is the first step to emotional acceptance and healing.

Rather than focusing on perceived flaws, here are a few body positivity tips to consider:

1. Maintain a healthy perspective on life — Many people with varicose veins are limited by painful symptoms. They struggle to sit or stand for too long, and walking or staying active with friends and family may be challenging. Take comfort in the fact that you do not have a permanent disability. You can still mingle at a charity dinner event, go to the beach, dance, work out at the gym, go on vacation, and do whatever your heart desires.
2. Practice gratitude — Reframing your negative thoughts into positive ones can be a great way to overcome the emotions that come with having varicose veins. For instance, picture yourself confidently wearing clothes you love and remind yourself that beauty comes in many forms.
3. Treat yourself to a makeover — A makeover could include getting your nails or toes painted, a new haircut, relaxing facials and leg massages, and even new clothes and accessories that make you feel comfortable while still daring to show a little skin along the way.
4. Surround yourself with positivity — One of the turning points in Donna’s journey was being around confident women who learned to remain positive despite their own health struggles. Surround yourself with people who exude confidence and body positivity. This could include in-person events. It can also include social media groups that promote loving your body and self-love.
5. Talk to your partner/spouse/family — Confide in your family that you are struggling emotionally with your varicose veins. Talking through these issues helps them understand where your mind is at and opens the door to emotional support and guidance you may not have benefited from had you stayed silent about your thoughts and feelings.
6. Seek professional help — To piggyback on the previous tip, there are tremendous benefits to reaching out to a professional counselor to talk through your body positivity issues. This is especially true if you are dealing with persistent stress and depression.
7. Take advantage of relaxation techniques — Deep breathing and engaging in enjoyable activities such as working out, breathing exercises, yoga, or listening to calming music can help you slow your mind and body down emotionally. Massage is also a great way to limit stress and stay in a relaxed state of mind.

You do not have to live with varicose veins forever. Schedule a consultation with StrideCare’s expert physicians at one of our vein clinics near you.

Additional Tips for Living With Varicose Veins

You and your vascular doctor need to talk about your varicose veins and the next steps in terms of medical treatments. More than likely, they will suggest various lifestyle changes and practical tips you can implement right now to improve your ability to live with varicose veins. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• Improve your diet to boost energy, lose weight, and promote overall blood circulation.
• Invest in compression socks to support your legs, reduce swelling, and limit symptoms.
• Elevate your legs for at least 30 minutes, four times each day to decompress veins.
• Avoid tight clothing as you bundle up for the winter months.
• Exercise regularly to improve blood flow throughout the body.

The bottom line is that you deserve to love your body—regardless of your journey with varicose veins. The best part is that you have treatment options and reclaiming the beautiful legs and feet you so richly deserve is possible. During this season of love, discuss all treatment options with your healthcare provider, including non-invasive treatments such as sclerotherapy, microfoam ablation, and radiofrequency ablation.

Featured in this video is StrideCare expert interventional radiologist Dr. Danny Chan discussing the many treatment options available to patients with venous and lower extremity diseases. As Dr. Chan states, you do not have to live life in pain. Patients can undergo a painless procedure and leave the same day feeling better than ever.

When our team performs these and other procedures, many patients experience a high success rate with minimal discomfort and can return to enjoying their lives faster.

With StrideCare, Varicose Veins Do Not Have To Be a Life-Long Issue

Living with varicose veins can be emotionally devastating and lead to body positivity issues. Even if you are not in any pain, the bulging veins and constant swelling are about all you can think about leading to an urge to cover up as quickly as possible and suffer in silence.

This does not have to be a life-long problem. Furthermore, your body was meant to be shown off. So let us help get you there. When your leg pain and bulging veins are caused by a vascular issue, there are conservative and minimally invasive treatment options to get you back to a pain-free lifestyle.

StrideCare has long been a leader in multi-specialty care for treating lower-extremity vascular and podiatric conditions. That includes our ability to perform leading-edge procedures to treat artery and vein disease and symptoms that, while minor in their earliest stages, can eventually lead to more serious and life interrupting issues. The experts at StrideCare will recommend an individualized plan to help you get the best results.

Please contact us at 866-552-4866 or complete the appointment form to schedule a consultation. We are here to help, all while providing compassionate patient care.

This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Prior to starting any new treatment or questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider.

StrideCare serves North Texas and South Texas communities, including Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Webster, Clear Lake, The Woodlands, Lake Jackson, San Antonio, Stone Oak, Austin, Round Rock, Bastrop, Brushy Creek, Cedar Park, Converse, Georgetown, Hutto, Kyle, Leander, Marble Falls, New Braunfels, Pasadena, Pearland, Pflugerville, San Marcos, Schertz, Bay City, Universal City, Spring, Kingwood, Stafford, Conroe, Texas City, Cypress, League City, Bellaire, Dallas, Mesquite, Addison, Arlington, Plano, McKinney, Craig Ranch, Prosper, Flower Mound, Euless, Southlake, South Dallas, Sherman, Irving, Garland, Carrollton, Rowlett, Coppell, Forney, Rockwall, and more.

*Patient names and/or photos may be changed to protect patient confidentiality.