VeinDirectory - "The Know"

Celebrity plastic surgery is a fun thing to talk about with friends over cocktails but plastic surgery in general is a thing to take seriously. A recent blog post over at True Life reports on the death of a Canadian woman whose botched liposuction procedure caused her untimely death. The post says that the widespread interest in celebrity plastic surgery has prompted people to get their own plastic surgery, putting them at risk of such complications.

While it’s true that cosmetic surgery comes with risks, it should be pointed out that the original article on the death as reported by The Star tells us that the botched cosmetic procedure was done by an unqualified physician. It’s tempting to place blame on the media, celebrities or social trends in general when things like this happen. But the truth of the matter is that the issue is one about the medical industry and needs to be addressed via licensing, education and community awareness.

If you’re considering plastic surgery, make sure that you do your research into the doctor who will be performing your surgery. It’s not without its risks, as any surgery would be, so you want to make sure that the person who does your work is qualified to do so.

Jenny McCarthy is a star who enjoyed Botox treatments for a time and then reportedly decided to stop getting Botox injections. According to the report, McCarthy says that she had lost her inability to smile because of the Botox. This may or may not be true but the likelihood is relatively low. Although Botox does have some negative side effects, when used correctly, it shouldn’t freeze up your face. This effect, which has been mocked in comic strips and movies across the globe, has been significantly tempered as Botox injections have become more common and the techniques for it have been improved.

However, if you are concerned about the effects of Botox, as McCarthy reportedly is, you can make use of Botox-alternatives which are widely beginning to sweep the cosmetic surgery market. Rejuvinol is the one that the McCarthy article is touting for its ability to provide surgery-free anti-aging effects. This and other similar alternatives are basically creams which may simulate the effects of Botox at a surface level. If you’re just looking to take some good pictures, these could be the alternatives you’re seeking. However, if you want longer-term solutions, these guys probably aren’t going to cut it.

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You know Ryan Gosling from The Notebook but if you’ve seen him more recently than that, you might be noticing that his face has changed a bit. You might’ve thought that he’s just filled out a bit as he’s grown up but if you look more closely you’ll see that there’s a good chance that he got a nose job which gave a more ovular look to his face. It’s hardly uncommon to get a nose job when you’re a Hollywood star but they’re far more common among female celebrities than amongst the guys so it stands out as news that Gosling may have gotten rhinoplasty.

It’s still just a rumor that Gosling had the nose job but before and after celebrity photos of him are being bandied about all over the Internet supporting the rumor. If they’re true, the nose job had the effect of making him look more grown up. Since the guy is heading towards his late twenties, it’s really about time that he stopped looking like a kid. It’s funny to think, though, that male celebrities get plastic surgery to look older whereas females get the surgery to retain their youthful appearances.

Former bombshell Brigitte Bardot was never a fan of plastic surgery. Instead of using cosmetic surgery to stay in the limelight as she got older, she moved on to other endeavors and let herself slip away from the spotlight. Bardot is in her seventies now and she looks like it as you can see from the pictures at a recent blog post that show Bardot ‘then and now’. There’s nothing wrong with aging naturally but it’s no coincidence that Bardot’s choice to not get any form of plastic surgery was aligned with her movement out of stardom. It would be interesting to see what Bardot might look like today if she’d gotten plastic surgery back then. That’s not her story and that’s okay but wouldn’t it be neat if it was possible to digitally determine what Bardot would look like at seventy if she’d had work done at 40 to keep her Hollywood-perfect?

You know what I’ve been wondering lately? Are there any celebrities out there who don’t get laser hair removal? Hair removal just seems like such a common thing amongst average people that it doesn’t seem like there can be celebrities out there who aren’t getting it done. Well, female celebrities anyway. Although there are plenty of guys who get laser hair removal, I imagine that there are plenty who don’t bother. But ladies are expected to be hairless and it seems to make a lot more sense to just laser that hair away than to be getting a bi-weekly Brazilian to keep your celebrity body smooth. Maybe there are stars out there who find the whole spa waxing thing to be relaxing and so they do it anyway even though laser hair removal is an option? I don’t know. But if people had their eyes on my hair growth at all times, I think I’d go the route of just lasering it away and being done with it. What do you think? Wouldn’t it be something if one of your favorite stars was still doing the shaving thing? Now that’s a secret celebrity photo that I’d love to get my hands on.

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It has long been believed that Madonna has not had celebrity plastic surgery despite the fact that she’s undeniably getting up there in age in youth-obsessed Hollywood. However, recent rumors over at Make Me Heal indicate that she’s no plastic surgery virgin. As they not-so-kindly report:

“the 49-year old singer was caught on camera leaving a club with wrinkly and vein-laden hands that reveal her true age. The contrast between her fifty-something looking hands youthful face are a dead giveaway to the fact that the star has succumbed to plastic surgery many times over before.”

The article points out however that hand rejuvenation treatments would be one option for improving the appearance of her hands and making them a little more youthful like the rest of her does. No one can say Madonna doesn’t look good for her age. But the veins in her hands reveal that she’s no spring chicken.

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The vein treatment industry is traditionally male-dominated as most areas of medicine area. However all areas of medicine are working to equalize the balance of male and female leaders in the industry. In this vein (um, no pun intended), there’s been a recent announcement of the promotion of a female doctor to the editorial board of a vein therapy publication. Dr. Laura Ellis was recently selected to membership at Vein Therapy News, a leading Austin-based publication in the vein treatment industry. Through this new position, Dr. Ellis will assist in spreading awareness of various varicose vein treatment options and other vein industry news. She will also be setting an example of a female leader in the medical industry.

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There’s nothing sexy about compression stockings is there? Sure, they might be good for you. And they’re definitely necessary after undergoing certain vein treatment surgery. But we don’t exactly put the compression stockings on and hit the clubs with them. However, we all know that fashion trends are frequently dictated by the celebrities. So it must be possible then to make compression stockings a hot trend if you could get the right celebrity to wear them and make a sexy look out of them?

It would seem that the celebrity who could pull off compression stockings as a fashion trend would have to be someone slim, sexy, alluring and edgy. A classic beauty like Minnie Driver would just look silly trying to put compression stockings on as a fashion statement. An actress like America Ferrera who is pretty but who undeniably has somewhat heavier legs than the average super-thin star would probably look uncomfortably chunky in compression stockings. But take someone who is both thin and trendy in anti-trendy way, someone like Avril Lavigne perhaps, and put her in compression stockings with some sexy heels, garters and a short skirt and you might be able to make this a trend after all.

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There’s a common theme that happens in almost kinds of cosmetic surgery. You go in, get the treatment to improve your appearance and panic when you see the results. This is because the immediate after effect of the cosmetic surgery almost always causes a reaction in the body which creates an unappealing look. The fear, of course, stems from the feeling that you might have just made a horrible mistake. You certainly don’t want to get plastic surgery and then look worse than you did beforehand. Luckily it’s rarely the case that you dislike your appearance after the initial fear has passed.

Sclerotherapy to remove spider veins and varicose veins is a kind of cosmetic surgery procedure that will have this same initial effect. The injections that are given during sclerotherapy to reduce the appearance of the veins have a temporary impact on the appearance of the veins. This appearance is none-too-pleasant. Just remember that when doing surgery, the body is going to need time to heal. Take a deep breath, let the fear fade and be aware that your legs will soon look better, not worse.

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Fashion and Hollywood go hand-in-hand which is why we’re always watching the red carpet for what the stars are wearing. Women in the industry regularly wear short dresses to show off the hottest trends (and the hotness of their bodies). One thing that we don’t want to see at the bottom of that hemline is the beginning signs of spider veins. This little unsightly veins may grace the legs of celebrities who are on their feet all day but we want to pretend that the stars don’t see the same effects that the average person sees of the wear and tear of time on the body. Which celebrities do you think need to think about Endovenous Laser Treatment and other forms of vein treatment for the purpose of cosmetic enhancement?

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Wheatgrass is seen by many to be a miracle cure. A recent article takes a look at all of the various ailments that wheatgrass can reportedly cure including sinus infections, wounds and inflammation in the ears. However, the article also points out that scientific studies haven’t really concluded that wheatgrass has these healing properties. One of the properties that was mentioned was the possibility of reducing varicose veins by regularly drinking wheatgrass.

Using wheatgrass to reduce varicose veins sounds like something that was brought up recently by a New Age healer somewhere, right? But it was actually mentioned in a medical journal as a cure recommended by a doctor way back in 1940. Technically, it wasn’t wheatgrass that was reported to reduce varicose veins but rather chlorophyll which is a major ingredient in wheatgrass. It probably won’t hurt you to try wheatgrass shots but the truth is that you’ll probably also want to look at sclerotherapy and other vein treatment options as well.

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Vein treatment options are great for helping you to get rid of varicose veins. However, we all know that prevention is far better than treatment whenever possible. For that reason, you should consider taking a look at a recent article over at Detroit News which shares seven basic tips for reducing varicose veins. The tips may be fairly obvious to anyone who has vein experience but it’s always good to get a refresher course in what you should be doing on a daily basis to take care of yourself.

Among the tips are a couple of important ones which remind us that we need to be active in our lives if we want to prevent varicose veins. Sitting down all day with our legs below us tends to increase the likelihood that we’ll get varicose veins. Instead, we should make it a point to be active, walking regularly. This serves another prevention tool as well – weight loss. Varicose veins form more easily on people who have excess weight. Walking and other exercise help with weight control which helps to prevent the varicose veins from forming. Keep yourself active and follow some of the other tips for preventing varicose veins and you might be able to avoid vein treatment for a long time to come.

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AngioDynamics is a medical manufacturer which created the Nevertouch VenaCure system for vein treatment. They filed for their patent on the system several years ago and that patent has now finally come through. This allows the company to further promote the NeverTouch VenaCure system which they have likely been holding back on promoting until the patent was secure.

The main reason that patients are interested in the NeverTouch system as opposed to other types of laser vein treatment is that it is designed to be less painful and less damaging than other treatment options. This is due to the fact that a spacer within the machine keeps the laser fiver tip away from the wall of the vein vessel. The result is that there is less pain for the patient as well as less bruising to the vein. It is otherwise similar to the original VenaCure system which its name bears.

AngioDynamics could be a company to keep on an eye on if you’re interested in further technological developments in laser vein treatment. This is because the company reportedly has some other patents for no-contact technology pending. There’s always room for improved technology that will help veins heal more quickly!

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When you ask most people who are considering varicose vein treatment what the number one reason is that they want to get the treatment done, you are going to get a variety of answers. The answer that most people commonly expect to hear is that the varicose veins are ugly and the vein removal will improve the appearance of their legs. However, the actual answer given most often is probably that varicose veins hurt and they want to get rid of that pain.

See, most people think of varicose vein treatment as a cosmetic surgery. They think that people want to get reduce the appearance of the veins so they can wear skirts and shorts again without being self-conscious. And it’s true that this is a major benefit of vein treatment. However, varicose veins are a medical condition which can actually cause a significant amount of pain. Therefore, vein treatment is actual a medical procedure, not a cosmetic surgery procedure. It’s just an added benefit that you look better when it’s done!

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Perhaps the date for cosmetic repair for your spider veins is too far away and you want to know what you can do immediately to cover them up. An article over at Beauty iVillage takes a look at some of the tips used by top make-up artists to conceal the appearance of spider veins. Different techniques are used on the face and legs but the effect is the same; the spider veins virtually disappear so that you can go out in the evening looking like a celebrity.

For your face, the article says that you’ll want to use a basic make-up concealer to hide the problem area. Apply the concealer evenly and pay attention to what you’re doing to get the best look. For your legs, the process is similar but you’ll want to make extra sure that you get the right color because that’s the key to making your legs look natural as you hid the spider veins. The major difference between face and legs is that you’ll want to use a dry, powder-based product on your face and a creamy lotion-like product on your legs.

Covering spider veins with make-up is obviously only a temporary solution. You’ll want to look in to vein treatment options for more permanent removal or reduction of spider veins. But there’s no reason that you need to go around looking bad in the meantime.

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Britney Spears is taking a lot of flak in the media right now for all kinds of different reasons. There’s her questionable MTV return performance outfit and all of the controversy that it stirred up amongst her fans. There’s the situation with her kids that would take an entire court case to review. And then there’s the fact that Britney recently got media attention for celebrity plastic surgery plans that she has in the works.

According to one report, a portion of that celebrity plastic surgery is going to remove the varicose veins that Britney now has as a result of her two recent pregnancies. They say that she plans to spend over five thousand dollars on laser vein treatment to get rid of that problem once and for all (or at least until the next kid comes along). But maybe this gives Britney a little bit more humanity than she used to have. The Varsity says:

“Britney Spears today is the equivalent of the average American woman— a single mother of two with dashed hopes, little faith in romance and varicose veins.”

Most of us aren’t ever going to look like Britney used to look when she was on top of her game. And fortunately, most of us aren’t going to hit quite the lows that she’s hit recently (or if we do, they won’t be splayed across TV screens for all to see). But perhaps we’re not so far off from where Britney Spears is today. Sure, we’re not going to be able to afford quite the extensive celebrity plastic surgery that she’s apparently got in mind. But laser vein treatment to remove our own pregnancy-induced varicose veins isn’t so far-fetched.

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An article was published last week by The Rapid City Journal which paid homage to cranberries, a source of many reported healing powers. Within the article, there was also brief (but notable) mention of the healing properties of another berry, the bilberry. Bilberries obviously aren’t nearly as commonly consumed as cranberries (raise your hand if you even knew that they were a European type of blueberry) but they may gain in popularity once people begin to realize that they may reduce the appearance of varicose veins.

“Bilberries in a concentrated form are also beneficial for strengthening all other capillaries, arteries and veins. They may, therefore, be used for reducing capillary fragility and permeability in conditions such as varicose veins.”

Like with all healing foods, bilberries alone aren’t going to help you take care of your varicose veins. You will still want to look into Endovenous Laser Treatment for removing or reducing varicose veins and you won’t want to neglect your other vein treatment options either. But it wouldn’t hurt to start taking a look at your local specialty food store to see if bilberries are available anywhere near you.

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It has recently been discovered that a leading cause of male infertility may be varicose veins. No, if you’re a guy that’s got some sign of varicose veins in your lower legs, you probably don’t need to rush out and check your sperm count. But if you have varicose veins in your scrotum (a condition technically called varicoceles) and you’re experiencing problems with infertility, that might be the reason. Although male infertility isn’t as commonly discussed as female fertility problems are, male infertility is a serious problem which plagues a number of couples. Men who have been searching for a cause and a cure might be one step closer to their answers as a result of these recent studies.

What the studies showed is that varicose veins in the scrotum can lead to decreased levels of testosterone. This can create problems with fertility which make it difficult for a man to impregnate his female partner. The good news that came out of this study is that these varicose veins can be surgically treated and the testosterone levels will rise, improving the man’s fertility. In some cases, men in the study even returned to one hundred percent of normal testosterone production following the varicose vein treatment.

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There was an article recently about Oshkosh, Wisconsin in which a joke about varicose veins gives pause to consider the seriousness of the problem. The article is about the increased prevalence of tattoo parlors in and around Oshkosh. As far as basic information about tattoos goes, it’s a good read, particularly for the people of the area who are just beginning to see widespread trend growth in this area. (Although I will add that it points to the permanency of tattoo art and fails to discuss laser tattoo removal as an option.)

But I digress …

At the close of the article, the author confirms that he’s not jumping on the tattoo fad right now. He goes on to joke,

“Who knows, maybe my varicose veins will form some sort of artistic display for all to see.”

The joke is meant to just be a passing comment and that’s fine and dandy since varicose veins aren’t the subject of his report. But the fact of the matter is that varicose veins are no subject of laughter. Although the comment points to the appearance of the veins which can be enough of a source of discomfort to people who suffer from them, what’s even more important to note is that varicose veins are painful. Yes, they form an ornate decoration up your legs and if you’re able to sidestep the self-esteem issues and embrace that; that’s great. But even so, you may end up looking at varicose vein treatment to remove or reduce them due to the fact that they are causing such physical discomfort to your body.

It’s not a subject to be taken lightly.

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Varicose vein treatment is a terrific way to assist you in taking care of vein problems that have developed over time. However, prevention of vein problems is always a better option than vein treatment whenever it is possible. There are many different things that you can do on a daily basis to maximize your prevention of varicose and spider veins. And then there are things that you don’t do on a daily basis, but you should remember to do them whenever the opportunity arises. One of those things is to make sure to wear compression stockings whenever you take an airplane flight.

Compression stockings don’t need to be worn by everyone who is flying, but you’d be surprised at how many people can benefit from wearing them. An article over at EarthTimes last month took a look at a study that showed who was at high risk of in-flight clotting. The under-30 crowd may not be too happy to discover that they are on that list. Also on the list is anyone who is of abnormally tall or short stature, persons who are overweight, and women who are taking birth control pills. There are varying reasons that each of these groups is susceptible to increased risk of vein problems associated with flying, but the cure is the same for all of them: compression stockings.

Of course, since you don’t wear compression stockings on a daily basis, you are wont to forget them when the time comes for a trip. The best way to avoid doing this is to keep a pair in every bag that you might use as carry-on luggage. When you go to get out the bag and pack for your trip, you’ll see the compression stockings and remember to wear them. When you’re avoiding vein treatment because of this kind of prevention, you’ll be glad that you made the extra effort.

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As people get older, they often become highly interested in their anti-aging options. Nobody wants to start showing signs of getting old so they work to minimize the effects of aging on their appearance. One of the best ways of doing that is to target the key areas that tend to cause the most change in appearance in terms of getting older. One of the things that people with an interest in doing this will want to pay attention to is the development of spider veins and varicose veins. Having visible veins in your hands is listed as one of the top five signs of aging.

Along with wrinkles, bulging veins in the hands are considered to be a dead giveaway to the fact that you’re getting older. This happens because aging causes the amount of fat tissue in your hands to decrease and the skin to get thinner, making it easier to see the veins underneath the surface. People who are interested in maintaining the illusion that they aren’t getting older will want to see what their vein treatment options are for reducing or eliminating these veins.

Most often, those people who elect to have vein treatment for cosmetic anti-aging purposes choose to do so with laser vein treatment. However, other vein treatments such as sclerotherapy can also be used to get rid of the veins. Those people who aren’t yet ready to embrace their vein treatment options sometimes opt to delay the treatments using a fat filler such as Radiesse injections to beef up the hands and reduce sight of the veins. However, these treatments only last for a short period of time and other vein treatment options are usually explored down the line.

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A press release issued last week indicates that doctors at UCLA have been working on a new outpatient procedure for removing varicose veins. The procedure is called light-assisted stab phlebectomy but is better known but its acronym, LASP. LASP is a surgery which requires no sutures and only mild sedative anesthetic.

"This new, sutureless technique allows complete and rapid varicose branch vein removal with few missed varicose veins, little bruising and an excellent cosmetic result.”

LASP uses a combination of currently practiced vein treatment options. It takes stab phlebectomy and powered phlebectomy and combines them in to one treatment. It also makes use of light technology to make it easier for doctors to see the veins as they are treating them.

LASP is designed to offer varicose vein treatment for specific areas of the body including the ankles, calves and thighs. The procedure removes branch varicose veins and is said to have been successful in over 250 patients so far. It may be a new procedure by it uses some old tools to get the job done … tools that you probably wouldn’t expect to see a medical surgeon carrying. The veins are removed in part by using the kind of crochet hooks that can be bought at the local craft store!

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You’ve noticed that you seem to have a problem with varicose veins. You’ve thought about looking into vein treatment options but the veins haven’t begun to pose a real problem for you yet. Sure, you don’t like how they look and you’re a little uncomfortable sometimes as a result of them but you don’t think that you need to consider sclerotherapy or Endovenous Laser Treatment just yet.

For the sake of your health, you might want to think again.

Varicose veins are one symptom of a circulatory disease that affects many people despite the fact that it’s little known in the general public. Peripheral Arterial Disease (commonly called PAD) is caused by a blockage in the blood vessels. An early symptom of such a blockage is the development of varicose veins. Left untreated, this blockage can cause problems as serious as gangrene-related limb amputation and heart attacks.

Of course, having varicose veins doesn’t mean that you have PAD. Many people get varicose veins for all kinds of different reasons. You might just be getting older and see very little other health problems related to the veins. But where your health is concerned, it’s usually better to err on the side of caution. Get those veins checked out just to be sure.

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