Can You Wax Over Varicose Veins?

A picture of Rahul Sood

Rahul Sood

Waxing has long been one of the choices that most people use to take care of unwanted hair on their legs. While painful, it’s a relatively quick and easy way to get rid of hair follicles and leave your skin smooth. However, people with varicose veins might be wondering how feasible this treatment is for them.

So can you wax over varicose veins? Most experts would agree that it’s a bad idea. Because the varicose veins in your legs are close to the surface of the skin, any hot or cold wax applied to your legs can cause the blood flow to malfunction or blood to pool around your veins. In severe cases, it can even cause a blood clot or a pulmonary embolism – and that’s not counting the moderate side effects like skin discoloration or rashes.

Read More: A Complete Guide to Your Non Surgical Varicose Vein Treatment

The Potential Risks Of Waxing Over Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are enlarged veins that bulge prominently from your skin. Your veins are responsible for bringing back blood to your heart to be used again by the body – but since they’re working against gravity, this process can be difficult. Age, gravity, and the position of the blood vessels on your legs make them more prone to developing into the bulging bluish-colored veins that characterize varicose veins.

So why is waxing over these veins dangerous? The action of peeling away wax can drastically harm delicate skin, which is usually the skin surface that’s right above your delicate surface veins. Even deeper veins can be affected by waxing procedures, which can cause the already-overstretched vein even more damage.

Another reason why waxing over varicose veins isn’t recommended is the interaction of your blood flow network and the combination with heat. The sometimes excessive heat associated with waxing makes this hair removal option potentially deadly for your overextended vein since it can cause blood pools when your veins expand. In fact, any shift in temperature over your sensitive veins (high or low) can make your veins worse.

Overall, waxing isn’t a safe option for varicose vein patients who are looking to get rid of body hair without having to compromise their vein health. Even if it’s just a small area, there’s always a certain degree of risk that’s associated with waxing over varicose veins, which is why experienced doctors will never recommend waxing.

Laser Treatments: A Safe Alternative To Waxing

Having varicose veins doesn’t mean that a patient can’t enjoy the benefits of hair removal on their skin anymore – it just means that they have to look for other treatment options. Fortunately, there are other options that they can look for with removing their hair, with laser treatments being the most effective.

Laser hair removal is fairly simple: a highly focused beam of light is directed at the hair follicles beneath your skin. This light is attracted to the dark pigment in your hair, which causes it to break down from the inside and be easily removed.

Any side effects from laser hair removal are mild and usually resolve in a few days, and the non-invasive nature of the treatment means that almost anyone can use it. However, it’s more effective on fairer-skinned people with dark hair, since the laser can easily distinguish the right pigments to work on. People with darker skin can still use laser treatments – but their results may not be as good compared.

The reason why laser treatments are better than waxing for varicose veins is that there’s actually very little heat associated with laser treatments. While the popular notion of lasers is that they can get incredibly hot, the beam of heat aimed at your follicles is far cooler than the temperatures your skin would go through when it comes to waxing. This makes it ideal for varicose vein patients.

It’s even possible to get rid of varicose veins during a laser treatment via a process called laser ablation, where the careful pulses of heat from the laser can collapse and close any varicose veins. Most cosmetic practices will actually combine the two procedures, so you get rid of your varicose veins and unwanted body hair at the same time.

Learn More: What Are the Best Vitamins for Varicose Veins?

Trust Vein Center Doctor For Removing Varicose Veins From Your Skin

professional vein doctor performing sclerotherapy on a patient's varicose veins leg

While it’s understandable that you’d want to keep your skin hair-free and feel smooth to the touch, there’s a real danger if you try to wax over your varicose veins. If you want a safe and effective treatment for varicose veins that can still allow for your own hair removal routines, consult our experts at the Vein Center Doctor today.

Get rid of varicose veins, improve your blood flow and blood circulation, and keep your venous system healthy with Vein Center Doctor today. We have the experience and equipment needed to treat any sort of vein condition that you may have, with an emphasis on non-invasive treatments which can offer long-term relief.

Reach out to us today and call 1-862-227-1054.

Rahul Sood

DO, R.PH

About Rahul Sood

Dr. Rahul Sood is a triple board-certified physician who specializes in cosmetic vein treatment, namely spider veins and varicose veins, as well as any accompanying issues related to venous insufficiency such as leg pain. He has carried out over 10,000 leg procedures during 10-plus year career and is highly regarded throughout Westchester County and New Jersey.

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