Archive for category: Latest News & Updates

Many people prefer to try a natural remedy for medical problems. 

Some traditional treatments can be very effective for some conditions, but this is not the case.

Japanese Pagoda Tree

For vein problems

Extract from Japanese Pagoda Tree has been used widely in Europe since the mid-1960s for treatment of various vein conditions including spider veins.

Used in both supplements and creams, the extract has been shown to enhance vein stability, improve circulation and reduce inflammation.

There are clinical studies which show that Japanese Pagoda Tree extract can improve the appearance of spider veins and to provide relief from the swelling, aching, and discomfort of varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency.

Will it work?

Effectiveness will depend upon the severity of the vein problem.

Vein problems are caused by localised pooling of blood due to damage or inefficiency in the venous system. Once the vein is damaged to a certain point, supplements or creams are of very limited benefit. They are likely to be more use in preventing new vein problems then improving existing difficulties.

For established spider veins or thread veins, a more intensive medical treatment is recommended.

London Vein Treatment Centre

Cosmedics Skin Clinics’ main London Vein Treatment Centre has the latest Harmony XL Pro laser machine, which provides a gentle and effective treatment for visible veins on the face and body.

Harmony XL Pro Laser treatment targets problem capillaries, vessels or veins with a blast of laser energy. This damages the veins so that they shrink, shrivel up and eventually disappear.

Treatment using micro-cautery laser is also available at all of the company’s skin treatment centres.

For more problematic varicose veins, the company also offer the latest EVLA laser treatment, foam sclerotherapy injections and micro-surgery; all on a day-case basis.

A feature in The Guardian explains how many conditions including varicose veins as well as cysts, ganglia, moles and heavy periods are no longer funded on the NHS.

“Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) call the shots nowadays, deciding which of the procedures of limited clinical effectiveness (PoLCE) or procedures of limited clinical value (PoLCV) are available.

“There is no single list across the NHS; each CCG makes its own decisions about whom GPs can refer and what is and isn’t considered to be routine care. The rationale is that it’s wasteful and unjustifiable to fund treatments that don’t have a sound evidence base or are solely cosmetic.

“One stipulation, though, is that failing to fund the treatment must not cause significant harm to a person’s mental or physical health.”

NHS Varicose Veins

The Guardian states that before referral, NHS patients will first be advised to try practical measures to relieve varicose veins:

• compression stockings
• exercise/walking
• raising the feet a few times a day

Even though NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines recommend referral and treatment without needing to wait for serious, late complications; in practice, NHS referral is usually funded only in cases with:

• severe discomfort means you can’t stand at work or sleep at night
• ulceration/bleeding

Read more in The Guardian.

Varicose Vein Treatment

Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer private varicose vein treatment and see many patients who have been refused treatment on the NHS.

Their London Vein Treatment Centre offers EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) laser varicose vein removal with a vascular surgeon with prices starting at £1,650 per leg (1 vein).

They also offer foam sclerotherapy and micro surgery in order to provide a tailor-made service with the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.

A new before and after gallery of photos shows the results that can be achieved with Laser Thread Vein Treatment.

Laser vein treatment works by targeting visible veins at the surface of the skin and using laser energy to damage them so that they are destroyed. This causes the appearance of them to fade away as the veins collapse and disappear beneath the skin, leaving clearer, healthier looking skin.

Vitamin K is the key vitamin used in most spider vein creams. But can creams or serums cure these broken capillaries or facial thread veins?

Vitamin K Creams

Vitamin K skin creams purporting to improve spider veins generally contain vitamin K1 (there are also 2 other types of vitamin K).

The chemical name for Vitamin K1 is phylloquinone, or more commonly phytomenadione (phytonadione) – that’s what is more likely to be listed on the ingredient list.

The ‘K’ in ‘vitamin K’ comes from ‘Koagulations Vitamins’ – the German for coagulation. This group of vitamins are essential to coagulate blood and used by doctors and surgeons to aid recovery after surgery, particularly skin healing and bruising.

Spider veins appear when blood vessels expand and blood pools within them, making them appear visible at the skin’s surface.

Vitamin K creams here are expected to work on thread veins in the same way that they would on bruising – by aiding blood coagulation.

Vitamin K Concentration

The amount of vitamin K in the cream will naturally influence its effectiveness. Doctors tend to use products with at least 5% concentration phytomenadione/ phytonadione/ phylloquinone (chemical names for vitamin K).

Vitamin K can also be a useful preventative measure, particularly in diet.

Vitamin K in Diet

The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of vitamin K is 120 micrograms a day for men and 90 micrograms a day for women.  Vitamin K1 is found in green vegetables. Top sources are:

• Kale – ½ cup = 444 micrograms
• Spring onions – ½ cup = 103 micrograms
• Brussels Sprouts – ½ cup = 78 micrograms
• Cabbage – ½ cup = 82 micrograms

Can Vitamin K Help Spider Veins?

Vitamin K does have proven medical benefits and can be effective in treating spider veins for some patients. It very much depends on the nature of the veins, but creams and diet are an easy and economical option and well worth a try.

However, once the spider veins have become established, creams are of limited benefit and will not always be effective. At this point, patients can consider medical treatment.

Spider Vein Removal

There are a variety of medical treatments for spider veins.

• Laser treatment works by targeting the targeting the visible blood vessels with a burst of laser energy to make the veins shrink and eventually disappear. One session may provide complete improvement for spider veins.
• Microcautery techniques use a very quick burst of intense heat which works to destroy the venous walls, so that the vein quickly collapses and is no longer visible
• Microsclerotherapy is an injectable treatment, which tends to be used more for leg veins. This works in a similar way, by destroying the vein so that it disappears while blood simply flows through other, deeper veins instead

Cosmedics Skin Clinics

Established in 2003, Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer thread vein removal at a selection of clinics based in London using the latest techniques with GMC-registered doctors and surgeons.

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.

Varicose veins are sometimes considered to be not medically threatening and more of an aesthetic problem.

However, there is a two-way connection between varicose veins and high blood pressure which is not fully understood. Just as much as varicose veins can be a consequence of blood pressure, they can also contribute to it.

Varicose veins are caused by high blood pressure within a vein

Inefficient valves in the veins mean that the blood isn’t pumped through the veins as well as it could be, due to inefficient or damaged valves within the vein. This puts more pressure on other veins and as each valve breaks, blood pressure increases on other valves, causing further veins to be damaged. When the valves break down, the veins in the leg bulge through the skin and become unsightly – the visible varicose veins – which result when high blood pressure occurs in a number of valves.

Varicose veins can contribute to blood pressure

Doctors understand that having varicose veins can actually contribute to blood pressure conditions like venous hypertension and other illnesses. Where the blood cannot flow freely through the legs due to varicose veins, there is a build-up of blood pressure which elevates the blood pressure within the body, increasing the risk of consequences and complications.

Shared risk factors

The final issue is that both varicose veins and high blood pressure share a number of common risk factors, including:

• excess weight/obesity
• lack of exercise
• smoking
• pregnancy
• leg injuries

So if you are concerned about either blood pressure or varicose veins, it is sensible to be aware of the connection between the two conditions.

Varicose Vein Treatment

Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer private EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) laser varicose vein removal at their London vein treatment centre with a renowned vascular surgeon with prices starting at £1,650 per leg (1 vein).

They also offer foam sclerotherapy and micro surgery in order to provide a tailor-made service with the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.