Self-esteem, young, varicose veins.

[S25]

Hi all,

I am really hoping someone here will have the knowledge to give me a little advice.

I’m only 30 and very fit, active and healthy but over the the last 2 or so years I’ve noticed a few varicose veins appearing on my inner calves and the last few months they are getting more prominent and more are appearing and really getting me down. I won’t wear anything that shows my legs. I went to my GP around this time last year and she could see how it was affecting my confidence and day-to-day life as a young woman and she did her best to refer me but unfortunately the NHS the way it is at the moment have offered me a consultation in April 2024… I saw my GP in summer 2022 😞 They are only going to get worse and I just can’t wait that long to be seen for the consult and then goodness knows how many more years until any treatment with the way it’s affecting my confidence and I think where it’s summer at the moment I’m just constantly reminded and upset because I can’t wear what I would like to. I know it might sound a “first world” problem considering the world and all the crisis at the moment but it truly is affecting me and I shouldn’t feel like this at 30 years old. I should feel in my prime.

I have looked online at private clinics and it’s so so expensive but I am willing to do it to get my self-esteem back up. I can’t afford upfront payment as it’s seeming to be £250 a consultation and between £1500-£3500 depending on the treatment they suggest so it’d be either on finance or taking out a loan/credit card etc.

If you’ve got this far thank you so much for reading ❤️ So if anyone has any suggestions where to go/where to look and advice or has had treatment and willing to chat at all I’d be so appreciative.

Also in the meantime if you have any tips on how to hide them, perhaps fake tan etc? I’m really pale so I think that probably highlights them more? I’m not sure. I’m just at a loss so I’d love if anyone can help xx

I feel your pain. I've had a really unsightly varicose vein since I was about 14. I'm now early 40s and have never worn a short dress without tights on. I'm so self-conscious about it. Can only go bare legged if I wear maxi dresses or midis that cover it. Hopefully someone can offer some useful advice but just to say I know how you feel x

Are they causing you discomfort or is it just how they look?

I'm thinking that as you are so young, you could consider taking out health insurance and claiming on that in a year or so.

I had two lots of varicose surgery (laser, day case) on an AXA PPP policy.

I sympathise. Some of us are genetically unlucky in this regard. I've had them since your age and several surgeries later, my legs look pretty decent (for me) at age 50 and I've worn shorts for the first time this year!

It was when my (then) 5 year old said "mummy, you are lumpy" that I took the plunge...

I have calf stretch marks so not nearly as upsetting as varicose veins but the same sort of thing. Honestly the only thing I have been able to do is wear skirts and dresses that cover that part of my legs. It’s enough hassle putting make up on my face (and chest for the stretch marks there) without trying to keep my legs covered too. Floaty kaftan kind of things for the beach or pool. Once I started wearing long skirts and dresses I’ve never wanted to go back! Always feel swishy and elegant and as I tend to have scraped up bruised legs as well it seems like a win-win.

So sorry it’s getting you down - unfortunately I have no experience of treatment but I’m sure a private consultant would be able to see how distressing it is for you.

Will add that I doubt anyone sees them as badly as you can and I can’t imagine many people noticing them much really. That said, I can really empathise with how you feel - it’s so horrible when you feel limited by your body and it’s so hard to find the confidence to embrace flaws. Summer isn’t an easy time.

Best of luck.

Hi, thank you for your message. I’ve noticed in the last couple of months they do sometimes ache. It’s not particularly painful but there’s definitely a dull ache especially if I’ve walked a lot on that day. The look of them is what gets me down the most though :(

Would you mind telling me a little bit more about what kind of insurance you had and what treatment? It seems a total minefield and lots don’t seem to cover varicose vein treatments so it would be great if you could point me in the right direction.

Thank you so much for getting back to me! So pleased you’re feeling confident and wearing shorts and feel good with how your legs are looking ❤️

I have an awful lumpy patch of varicose veins on my calf, plus lots of visible threads veins on both legs. I never went bare-legged until a few years ago, when I realised that no-one really cares (or if they do, that’s their problem). I’m in my mid-forties now and I really wish I’d had the confidence to wear shorts throughout my twenties and thirties. Wearing jeans in hot weather is horrific! I’m so much more comfortable now. My legs are still fairly unpleasant to look at; I just no longer care.

Sorry if this doesn’t actually help you, but I wish someone has pointed out to me 20 years ago that nobody’s passing the slightest bit of attention to my legs (for a start, they’re probably too busy fretting about their own hang-ups).

*paying the slightest bit of attention 🙄
(like me with my typos…)

Thank you for your kind words. Totally empathise with you too!! Yes I do love a midi and maxi dress and skirts but I just want the option of wearing shorter skirts or dresses without the need for tights. My concern now is worrying about wearing bikinis and swimsuits on holidays etc as you can’t really hide them in that situation 😩 I think I feel more attention is drawn to them because I’m pale too so I’m wondering if in the meantime a bit of fake tan might help a little but obviously it won’t lessen the bumpiness but maybe it could help me for now until I find a way to get the treatment. I can’t wait to feel confident again xx

You can go back to your GP and ask who they would recommend you go and see to go private.

I needed an adult tonsillectomy which would have taken 2-3 years via NHS and my tonsils would have killed me with sepsis by then, they were trying very very hard to, so I went to my GP, said I can go private, they agreed they would as well and made a referral to the local private ENT surgeon, we cremated the buggers 7 weeks later (would have been 3 weeks but I requested the 4 week delay).

Oh bless you, kids and their honesty eh!! Do you mind me asking what treatment you had and if you were happy with your results?

My husband had vein surgery in his twenties as his were bad. He then got more after….

I have a lot of stretch marks all the way up my legs so you have my sympathy. Some of us are quite unlucky x

Oh thank you! I had no idea they would be happy to give recommendations. I will do that, that sounds like a good next step as there is just so much on the internet!! So pleased you were sorted, that must have been horrific 😞

Veincentre, finance
you’ll be done in a day, and you’ll have flawless legs. Worth it for all the money you’ll waste on nasty clothes to cover them up.

Thank you for your empathy ❤️ That’s the same as me right now. I wear maxi and midi dresses and skirts but I can’t wear any other types of dresses without tights which is fine in winter but nobody wants to wear tights in the summer 😞

Laser ablation and perhaps a couple of foam sclerotherapy sessions to finish. They are committed to making varicose vein surgery more affordable.

I’ve had them since my early 30s. Was referred to consultant on the NHS (2 year wait) who said that treatment was to surgically strip out and cauterise the veins, would be horribly painful in recovery, and would only defer the problem as they would just reoccur in other veins within a few years, gradually getting worse each time.

So I just got used to wearing support socks constantly, only wearing dresses with support tights, and never wearing shorts 😥

That advise was 10 years ago, and it never occurred to me to doubt it, but I’d be really interested to hear from anyone who’s had successful treatment that lasted!

There seem to be so many different treatments now so it may be worth you revisiting if they are still bothering you! Stripping is not something they do anymore from what I’ve read - apparently this has been the case for a number of years now since they’ve found more effective methods of treatment xx

Thank you, yes this seems to be what I’ve read about but some places don’t offer finance and suggest taking out a loan or using a credit card to cover the costs but I would just much prefer it was done with a finance option. Have you had treatment? If so, how did it go and has it lasted?

Thank you, I have read about the veincentre but they only offer 6 or 10 months of finance and if I need the more expensive treatment I’d need an option of 18-24 months to be able to afford it and I don’t want to waste £250 consultation fee to be told I need the more expensive option and then not be able to go through with having it done due to costs :(

IMO the consultation is worth it , because you may only need some sclerotherapy, which is far cheaper and still very effective. You may of course need laser , but don’t forget that the consultation letter can be sent to your gp and may speed up the process for nhs referral in any case (I for instance had had lots of incidences of phlebitis and lots of water retention in my legs and had had 3 courses of heparin injections, it was more than a cosmetic problem).

It's not a given that "they will only get worse". I've had patch of varicose veins in one of my things since my mid teens. It used to ache. I'm mid forties now and honestly you can't see the veins and they haven't bothered me at all in over 15 years. I am larger than I was but also fitter, more active and eat better - I have no idea what helped but something did.

I also have pretty bad stretch marks on my calves, again they have been there since my early teens. In an ideal world I wish I had perfect skin but this is who I am, I see no point in comparing myself to others. It never occurred to me to cover my legs up.💐to all of you, hopefully you will find a solution that works for you.

Yeah the consultation is worth it but they are £250 everywhere I’ve looked at and so if there is a clinic that offer more months to pay then it would make more sense for me to go to one of them incase I do need the more expensive treatment and then it won’t be £250 down the drain. I’m not sure what you mean in regards to the letter being sent to my gp to speed up the NHS referral? Could you tell me more about that please x

I had terrible varicose veins in my 20s. They went all the way from my ankle to my knee and there was no hiding it.

tbh the look of them never bothered me as mostly I couldn’t see them. It was only if I caught sight of them in a full length mirror I’d notice how huge it was. It was also very painful.

I had it stripped out when I was 25 and I did it privately. At the time it was about £2k but worth every penny. I’ve been left with a couple of little scars but you really have to look to see them.

I’ve developed another one on my other leg now. At the moment it’s just the blue and a couple of lumps and no pain so won’t do anything yet. I’ll probably go for the ablation treatment this time as it’s less invasive.

I had the laser treatment. 3 treatments (2 on 1 leg in the same op and 1 on the other) about 4 years ago and then another procedure on different veins a couple of years ago. I actually couldn't see the ones on one leg and didn't know they were there till the consultant scanned them. One was a DVT risk which worried me.

I didn't have the foam, although it was recommended, as I didn't fancy it tbh.

Consultant was Eddie Challoner at Radiance.

I've been happy with the results. I'm a teacher and would have had to quit otherwise as it was too painful to stand for long. I'm fine now. Still a little "lumpy" but a great deal improved.

Hi all, thanks so much for taking the time to comment.

I got in touch again (for the umpteenth time) with the hospital department my GP referral was sent to and they’ve agreed to bring my appointment forward from April 2024 to this September so that’s much better (even considering I’ve been waiting since this time last year 😒) so I’m going to hang on to be seen by the NHS and see what they suggest treatment-wise and what waiting times they anticipate and then go from there to decide whether private is the best option and if so hopefully get sorted this year and just put it on a credit card and pay off over a couple of years rather than take a loan or finance and then fingers crossed be ready to have my legs back on show for the Christmas party period!