Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic

Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk  Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned.  To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.

September 6th, 2009:  Thread Veins

Q I have thread veins on my leg, what would be the best product to get rid of them?

A We sympathise! Thread or spider veins (in fact, damaged capillaries) are a really common problem for women from 20 on. Some women are genetically predisposed to them, especially the pale and fine-skinned. The good news is that there are various possible solutions. The bad that spider veins are like ‘weeds in the garden - if you’re predisposed to them, you’re likely to get another crop at some point’, according to our ‘vein expert’, Mr John Scurr (jscurr.com), who practises at the Lister Hospital in London.

First, a good cover-up is helpful while you’re deciding what to do. We recommend either Vichy Dermablend High Coverage Foundation, £14.50 in eight shades, together with the same brand’s Setting Powder, £14.  (From larger Boots stores nationwide, and garden.co.uk, escentual.com, or zestessentials.com. Stockist tel no: 0800 169 8193.) Or try Estée Lauder Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup for Face and Body, £24, in four shades (available nationwide, or esteelauder.co.uk). Pat product on lightly with a ring finger, building up the layers until the blemish is covered.

As far as products go, pharmacist Shabir Daya recommends taking Diosmin Complex by Lifetime Vitamins (£16.95 for 60 capsules, from victoriahealth.com), which contains a combination of natural compounds to repair the damaged capillaries. You could also try smoothing on Spider Vein Cream by Provenance, (£14.67 for 60ml, from victoriahealth.com), which features GAGs (glycosaminoglycans) that may help repair the capillaries from within, and possibly toughen the outer cell layers, minimising the appeareance of spider veins.

Vein ‘fixes’ include electrolysis, micro-sclerotherapy and laser treatment.  Electrolysis involves passing an electrical current through a fine needle to cauterise the vein so the blood is absorbed into the body. It is available at beauty salons, but do be certain you go to an experienced therapist who has the back-up to deal with potential problems such as infection.

Micro-sclerotherapy uses an ultra-fine needle to inject a ‘sclerosing’ solution into the vein, which irritates the vein lining causing the sides to stick together, so that the top of the vein is no longer filled with blood. The introduction of foam sclerotherapy has improved the result, clearing a larger area, and producing a more longlasting effect. This process leaves no scab or mark but it may take some time for veins to clear, or it may need several sessions.

Laser treatment must be carried out by a qualified surgeon, and in our vein expert John Scurr’s opinion, it may leave some scarring. He prefers gentler PhotoDerm Pulsed Light Therapy, but do avoid sun exposure for at least three months afterwards (a case for black opaques!). 

We . . .

Decléor Aroma Night, from £36. We’re fans of Decléor’s facial oils and their Aroma Night Balms, but the almost solid, shea butter-rich texture of the balms isn’t for everyone. By contrast, Decléor’s two new night creams are beautifully quenching, helping to boost skin’s energy with ingredients such as plum kernel oil, black orchid, ruscus extract – and all fragranced with waft-you-to-the-land-of-nod petitgrain essential oil. Two options: Regenerating, £36, for the ages of 20-40, and Wrinkle Firmness, £50, for 40s-plus – with botanicals that boost the skin’s support system.  Both leave the face wonderfully rested simply by next morning, too. 

Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic - Archive

August 30th, 2009 - Vitamin C and Skincare
August 23rd, 2009 - Beat Stings and Itches
August 15th, 2009 - Sunscreens
August 9th, 2009 - Good Skin Care
August 2nd, 2009 - Lash Conditioners
July 26th, 2009 - Spa Treatments
July 19th, 2009 - Organic Tinted Moisturiser
July 12th, 2009 - Hair Protection
July 5th, 2009 - Cellulite
June 28th, 2009 - Sexy Summer Scents
June 21st, 2009 - Eyeliner Tricks
June 14th, 2009 - Natural Suncare
June 7th, 2009 - Anti Ageing Skin Care
May 31st, 2009 - Natural Nail Polishes
May 24th, 2009 - Body Polishing
May 17th, 2009 - Rosacea
May 10th, 2009 - Manky Feet
May 3rd, 2009 - Makeup Makeover
April 26th, 2009 - Facial Hair Removal
April 19th, 2009 - Teen Skin
April 12th, 2009 - Swimmers Hair
April 5th, 2009 - Make-up For Damaged Skin
March 29th, 2009 - Are Sunbeds Safe?
March 22nd, 2009 - Weak, Flaking Nails
March 15th, 2009 - Puffy Eyes
March 8th, 2009 - Camouflaging Red Cheeks
March 1st, 2009 - Hair Colouring in Pregnancy
February 22nd, 2009 - Thinning Eyebrows
February 15th, 2009 - Acne