How women
are having 'lunchtime legs' treatment
to banish ugly thread veins
By Fiona Macrae
Last updated at 8:37 AM on 31st July 2008
Soaring numbers of women are
having unsightly thread veins removed in their lunch hour.
At one chain of clinics alone, demand for the 'lunchtime legs' treatment
is up by 60 per cent on this time last year.
The demand can partly be explained by the glorious weather, with women
who kept their legs covered up during last year's soggy summer keen to
bare all this year.
Demand for the 'lunchtime legs' treatment is up by 60 per cent on this
time last year
Brian Newman, a surgeon who specialises in the removal of thread veins,
said it is also proving popular with active grandparents who want to
look youthful on days out with their grandchildren.
The technique, properly known as thermo-coagulation, uses microwaves
to zap the unsightly veins - abnormally dilated blood vessels lying very
close to the surface of the skin.
An ultra-thin needle which emits a microwave current is poked under
the skin in the problem area. The heat produced causes the sides of the
veins to stick together, stopping the blood-flow that causes the vessels
to show up red or purple.
The half-hour procedure is carried out without anaesthetic and is said
to be no more painful than eyebrow plucking.
Mr Newman said: 'You can come in in your lunch hour and have it done.
You can do what you like afterwards.' Up to six sessions, costing up
to £350, could be necessary for the most stubborn veins.
Practitioners say the procedure, which is not available on the NHS,
is cheaper and more accurate then laser surgery.
Mr Newman, who developed thermo-coagulation and has trained surgeons
around the world in the technique, said it could also be used to melt
away veins on the face.
This could free some male patients from the embarrassment of being mistaken
as having a drink problem.
'Men who have got large nose veins are often wrongly dismissed as drinkers,'
said Mr Newman. 'Often, these people are completely teetotal. They are
tearful at the end of the procedure because for years they have been
regarded as a drunk.'
Thread veins often occur after pregnancy or the menopause and tend to
worsen with age. Although usually a cosmetic problem, they can signal
a thyroid disorder.
CASE STUDY
Confident: Joanne can now wear her favourite shorts to the
gym
Thread veins left Joanne Stoneman too embarrassed to go swimming or
wear shorts at the gym.
Miss Stoneman, a project manager for a financial services company, said:
'I've always kept fit through running, playing tennis, going to the gym.
'But when I reached my late 30s, early 40s, a map of thin purple veins
started to appear at the top of my legs.
'I tended not to go swimming and when I went to the gym I wore tracksuit
pants rather than Lycra shorts.'
After hearing about thermo-coagulation, she had a consultation at Mr
Newman's Bolton clinic, followed by five sessions of treatment.
The 45-year-old, who lives near Macclesfield, Cheshire, said the experience
was painless. Now, after a year of treatment costing £1,000, the
unsightly veins have all but vanished and Miss Stoneman's confidence
has returned.
She said: 'The thread veins disappeared in front of my eyes. I would
absolutely recommend it. The results speak for themselves.'
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