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"Imagine that it's a lovely spring day, perfect for wearing cute shorts or a flowy little skirt. Do you stick to long pants because of the ugly veins on your legs? If so, you're among the half of American women with the problem. But the good news is that there's no longer any need for wardrobe anxiety. The latest cutting-edge treatments for all three types of vein issues\u2014spider, reticular and varicose\u2014offer fast, gentle fixes, so you can feel more confident about letting those legs of yours see the light of day.\\n\\nFirst, it's useful to know what causes unsightly veins. Your blood vessels have valves that act as one-way flaps, preventing blood from flowing backward. Strong valves help push blood back to the heart, which then pumps blood to the organs and extremities. But weak valves have trouble with this step, causing blood to collect inside the vein. Over time, this constant pressure stretches vein walls, and as blood fills them, the veins become larger and more visible, says Neil Sadick, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, who specializes in vascular diseases. Doctors aren't certain why valves weaken, but they blame the usual suspects\u2014age and genetics. Another mystery is why the type of faulty veins varies from woman to woman. Some veins show up as weblike patterns, others as thick, bulging ropes, or both. But one thing is sure: Past treatments, which were painful, required bed rest and put patients at risk for serious scarring, will soon be obsolete because of new procedures that can be performed in less than an hour. \\\"Downtime and pain are simply not factors anymore,\\\" says Mitchel Goldman, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California at San Diego, who is considered a leading authority on vein-removal methods. Learn more about your vein type with our guide, and schedule some time with a doctor who is schooled in the therapy. Then reconsider those shorts, because you're going to look great!\\n\\n### Weblike clusters\\n\\n#### WHAT YOU SEE\\n\\nRed, blue or purple lines, no wider than a strand of angel-hair pasta, that resemble branches or webs\\n\\n#### WHAT THEY ARE\\n\\n Spider veins\\n\\n#### WHAT DOCS USED TO DO\\n\\n Sclerotherapy, a series of saline injections that shrivel vein walls so they can be absorbed by the bloodstream. The saline solution causes painful burning and cramping, so doctors must spread treatments over many sessions, which can get pricey (up to $1,200 per leg if you need three treatments).\\n\\n#### WHAT'S NEW AND BETTER\\n\\nDocs have swapped saline for glycerin, a painless alternative that makes it possible to wipe out spider veins in as few as two visits. Using an ultrafine needle, a doctor injects the solution directly into each vein, which makes the walls swell, stick together and seal shut; the extra blood is rerouted to a healthier vessel and the sealed veins are eventually absorbed by the bloodstream. Veins will begin to look lighter right away; full eradication may take up to four weeks. Doctors suggest wearing compression stockings for the first week after treatment, but there's no real downtime: You'll be able to handle a brisk walk immediately post-therapy and can hit the gym full-force in 24 hours.\\n\\n#### WHAT IT COSTS\\n\\n $250 to $500 per leg\\n\\n### Blue streaks\\n\\n#### WHAT YOU SEE\\n\\nFlat, blue lines that look as if you drew on your legs with a Magic Marker, and who would do that? They're thicker and longer than spider veins; they can be as wide as a pencil and up to 3 inches long.\\n\\n#### WHAT THEY ARE\\n\\nReticular veins\\n\\n#### WHAT DOCS USED TO DO\\n\\nAs with spider veins, saline sclerotherapy injections\\n\\n#### WHAT'S NEW AND BETTER\\n\\nAnother updated version of sclerotherapy. Glycerin can't break down the thick, rubbery reticular vein walls, so doctors inject a more powerful, sulfate-based foamy detergent called Sotradecol. In seconds, the vein walls swell and then seal. The treatment lasts about 10 minutes, after which patients can go back to their usual routine. Reticular veins will fade immediately, but it can take about a month for legs to clear completely. There is one possible side effect: Some patients develop a brown, hyperpigmented stain over the treated vein, which is a result of blood leaking from the vein to the dermis. (There's a chance this could occur after spider vein treatments, too, but it's more likely with reticular veins because the bigger the vein, the greater the risk.) Luckily, you can expect the mark to fade in three to nine months, Dr. Goldman says.\\n\\n#### WHAT IT COSTS\\n\\n$500 to $1,000 per leg\\n\\n### Bulging, knotty cords\\n\\n#### WHAT YOU SEE\\n\\nPurple or blue lumpy tubes, which can sometimes be as wide as your thumb and up to several inches long; they often crisscross and layer over one another, popping up from the skin in unsightly squiggles.\\n\\n#### WHAT THEY ARE\\n\\nVaricose veins\\n\\n#### WHAT DOCS USED TO DO\\n\\nSurgical stripping, an aggressive surgery that involves an incision, which is made across the length of the vein. The doctor then inserts a hooked instrument, which is used to pull out the vein. The treatment, which takes about three hours, is painful and requires general anesthesia, stitches and one to two weeks of bed rest, plus heavy bandages. Scarring is common.\\n\\n#### WHAT'S NEW AND BETTER\\n\\nIntravascular laser treatment, a 30- to 40-minute procedure that requires only local anesthesia and is significantly less painful than stripping\u2014plus there's minimal risk for scars. Your doctor will numb the skin and insert a tiny catheter through a needle. The fiber of a laser (the most popular is CoolTouch, recently cleared by the FDA to treat leg veins) is then woven through the catheter. Once inside, the laser heats the vein walls, which causes them to break down, shrivel and absorb into the bloodstream. (Again, the blood is rerouted to healthier blood vessels.) The problem veins vanish almost immediately, Dr. Goldman says. After the treatment you'll have to wear compression stockings for about two weeks to prevent bruising and promote healing. And you'll be encouraged to keep moving to increase circulation; going on walks, not resting in bed, is part of the recovery.\\n\\n#### WHAT IT COSTS\\n\\n$3,000 to $5,000 per leg. Check with your insurance company: If your situation is severe, it may cover the treatment, as ignoring varicose veins can lead to serious health problems such as blood clots.\\n\\n### Where to go for help\\n\\nThey're your legs\u2014they deserve an expert. The American College of Phlebology ([Phlebology.org](http://phlebology.org/)) and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery ([ASDS-Net.org](http://asds-net.org/)) can refer you to a doctor trained in the newest treatments.  \\n  \\nPhoto Credit: Terry Doyle"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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