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

Thank you all for being kind in your responses too x

Oh wow, had to actually check the username there because it could literally have been me that posted it. I’m in the exact same boat. I have pictures from nights out in my early 20s wearing short skirts and clearly didn’t have them then but in the last few years they have gradually got worse. I am 30 now too! I’ve had two kids and each pregnancy seemed to just make them slightly worse each time, I’m also convinced the pill hasn’t helped them!

I contacted my doctor during lockdown and had to send photos in. She said the nhs don’t do anything now for cosmetic reasons so I’d have to have them treated privately. At this point they were on my thighs but quite bad. In the last year or two they have now spread right down my full legs. I can only wear a dress if it’s a maxi dress or basically doesn’t show much more than a few inches of my legs off! It’s brutal because I just think by the time I get this treated I’ll not want to wear shorter skirts anymore likely 😂 I’d love to even be able to wear a midi dress at this point though! I wear leggings under everything to hide them

I’ve been on holiday with friends before and actually dreaded the holiday knowing I was going to have to wear a bikini infront of them and they’d see my legs! I just didn’t mention my veins but felt like I should say something. They’re now much worse than they were then. I didn’t take my baby to the same swimming class as everyone else as the thought of getting in a swim suit and having to let everyone see my legs would have kept me up at night 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’m now pretty sure I’m done having kids but there is the possibility of one more a few years down the line and I worry that if I get them treated itl just come back again when I’m pregnant. I’ve priced it at clinics near me and it’s between £3000-4000 😔 I so grudge having to pay it just to be able to have normal legs like everyone else. I’ve also developed smaller spider veins all over my lower legs too that look like huge bruises almost.. just to add to my troubles!

Im going to read all the comments on here now but just wanted to say I completely know how you feel!!

Also I have relied on Sally Hansen instant tan to cover them, particularly the spider veins that look like a bruise. I put foundation on first and then that. When we went on a couples holiday I would try to do that to hide them.. I feel sad thinking about the lengths I’d go to ☹️

Thats good news you might be able to get it on the nhs earlier now. Do you know if they offer the same type of treatments as private? I saw the vein centre was mentioned.. that was one of the ones I was looking at. I’m really quite terrified of pain, especially when you think too much about what they’re actually doing but the fact you’re in and out in one day is definitely reassuring

I'm sorry OP, it's really shit.

I have quite bad lumpy (probably varicose) veins on the top of my feet of all places - plus quite a few spider veins on my lower legs.

A few years ago when I had health insurance with work, I got the laser ablation thing done on both legs, but unfortunately not too long afterwards other veins started to appear, and within a few months I was basically back where I started.

I was told there is no guarantee they will totally go, and can often reappear if you have bad circulation or something. Very frustrating - it's not like you can hide them with fake tan or anything.

I also avoid short skirts, and don't really wear sandals or anything in summer. I would love to wear heels but would be totally self conscious about my ugly, red, bulging veins on the top of my feet. I'm also fit and healthy generally, so it's really annoying.

Plus I'm only late 30s, so I know it's probably just going to get worse with age. I probably wouldn't care so much in my 60's or something, but I've had them for maybe 5 or 10 years and I feel like this is the time I should have been showing off my legs, and I can't.

You have my sympathy OP. I've had a varicose vein since the age of 16. They have gradually worsened over the last 45 years but I've never had anything done as a relative had hers done and they came back around her ankle and that to me is worse. Mine are down the back of my knee/lower leg.

I had mine done privately a couple of years ago (local clinic, not Vein Centre or whatever). It cost around £3500 for laser ablation and some sclerotherapy to follow up. At the time I was pleased with the results but now I seem to have developed new ones, although not nearly as bad as before. Everyone on one side of the family has them, so I know it's genetic. I originally had them stripped in my early 20s but they can regrow.

Like @Metooyou I have the spider veins around my ankles so they look bruised. But tbh like a pp I'm now of an age where I give fewer shits what I look like. I wear shorts without giving it any thought. I do envy women without any visible veins on their legs but even with further sclerotherapy treatment (which I may go for in a few years when I've saved up again) I'm never going to have perfect legs.

You have my sympathies - it definitely seriously affected my confidence in my 20s and 30s.

@Metooyou @Farmageddon I also feel like I could have written both of your posts!

My story is a bit different and sad though. I got referred by my GP for NHS treatment during 2020 as we had to build up a case of consistent issues, for me it was my veins kept getting infected which was so horrendous and incredibly painful. I also am unable to kneel on the floor as my veins are on each thigh and go over my knees and stop just after my knee. I also think that my veins appeared from being on the pill, but both my mum and grandad have bad veins so I think it is also hereditary.

Anyway I had the full scans to see the extent of the veins back in 2021. I was told it would be a long wait and fell pregnant in 2022, which I was also happy about as the consultant said that often veins can come back after pregnancy even when you've had them done, so having a baby first seemed better (especially as I've lived with them for so long anyway!). But so so sadly I had a stillbirth at the end of the year and veins were obviously the last thing on my mind. The letter finally came through for my surgery date in March 2023 and I was terrified, the thought of an operation at that time was horrendous and I just wanted to have a baby in my arms. I ended up speaking to a wonderful nurse who said they veins aren't life threatening and to focus on what I wanted more, which was a family. For now they have postponed my treatment but kept me on the waiting list.

I just wanted to say you are not alone, but also don't let it hold you back, I have definitely learnt that there are worse things in life than unsightly veins x

Hi Vic231, I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope you are doing ok. Thank you for your kind words, you're right there are definitely worse things to worry about.

I had foam therapy through the nhs years ago for one varicose vein. 10 years later, it’s starting to come back, but not nearly as noticeable as it was.

I’m away to get another one treated at a local private hospital through my Bupa health insurance. I had to phone my GP to ask for a referral. This was just done over the phone.

According to my plan, I can get one vein treated per leg, per lifetime. I had to pay £100 excess after I’d had my consultation/scan.

The treatment I’m getting is called Clari-vein. It uses a combination of mechanical disruption and the injection of a liquid chemical to close the vein. From phoning my GP, to getting the vein treated will be 3 months from start to finish. It’s taken me years to get round to it though.

I’ll admit, I over-egged the heavy/throbbing/achey symptoms and said sometimes I can’t sleep because of it when I spoke to my GP & the BUPA consultant, just in case they tried to dismiss it as a cosmetic issue.

If my health insurance hadn’t covered it, I’d have paid for it myself on a payment plan. The list of prices at the private hospital included various treatments, ranging from £500 - £1700.

It's taken 3 years for me to get one leg done on the NHS - and I'm still waiting for the actual appointment to come through after the follow up with the consultant, it should be this summer some time.

I'd already booked to get it done privately (£2500) but have cancelled that now. Especially as the NHS consultant said I might have to have it done under GA...also it's uncertain whether or not they'll leave the vein looking all bumpy and I'll have to get the appearance sorted privately.

Now the other leg is starting up....I think I'll just get that done privately once this one is sorted.