It’s probably varicose veins

Aching, tired or heavy legs are very common particularly at the end of the day or after exercise or prolonged walking.  Many people think this is normal but it usually means you have varicose veins.  With varicose veins the one way valves that keep blood moving from the legs back to the heart don’t work properly and this causes blood to pool in the lower legs.  The resulting stretching of the abnormal varicose vein causes the aching.

If you have these symptoms it is best to see a phlebologist (vein doctor) and have an ultrasound scan to assess whether treatment is necessary.  Modern treatments like endovenous laser and ultrasound guided sclerotherapy are simple and don’t require anaesthetic or time off work.

Fraxel Dual is the best treatment

There is currently no better treatment for acne scarring than Fraxel Dual.  This is a fractional resurfacing laser which has minimal downtime and significantly reduces acne scarring and improves the texture of skin and reduces pore size.

Is it varicose veins? Do you suffer from swollen, puffy feet and ankles whenever you fly long haul?

Flying and ankle swelling (oedema) commonly occur in people with underlying varicose veins.

The valves inside the veins do not work properly and this is exacerbated by prolonged sitting.

Activating the calf muscle pump by getting up and walking or doing in-flight leg exercises can help but the wearing of Compression Stockings is the most efficient way of helping reduce leg swelling (oedema).

Palm Clinic attends ACCS conference Hobart April 2011

The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery held its annual scientific conference in Hobart, Tasmania in April. Palm Clinic was represented by Dr John Barrett and Dr Sam Dunn. We are pleased to report that Palm Clinic is offering all services at the forefront of cosmetic surgery. As always a few fine tuning tips were useful particularly regarding volumising of the face with dermal fillers, and liposculpture.

Our hands age faster than any other part of our body. As we age their youthful plumpness slowly breaks down revealing skinnier, bonier hands with visible hand veins. Many people dislike the look of hand veins and seek hand vein treatment.

Below we discuss hand vein causes and the simple, fast and effective hand vein treatment offered in our Auckland clinic. If you would like to discuss this further please contact our reception team.

Hand Vein Causes

Hand vein causes are unavoidable for most people. They are not so much to do with the hand veins themselves but with the loss of plumpness and volume in the skin of the hands. However in some cases they can signal a medical condition (DVT or Superficial thrombophlebitis) which will need attention.

• Genetics: You are more likely to have visible hand veins if other people in your family also have them.
• Age: As we age our skin loses volume and elasticity causing it to thin, sag, and make hand veins more noticeable.
• Loss of fat, muscle and collagen: As we age the fat, muscle and collagen in our hands erodes contributing to their thinner, saggier appearance with more hand veins.
• Sun exposure and hot weather: When our body heats up, our veins enlarge, making hand veins more prominent than they are in cooler weather.
• Exercise: Like with hot weather, exercise also causes hand veins to expand and become more visible as more blood is pumped through them.
• Lifting heavy objects: Frequent lifting of heavy objects has the same effect as exercise to create more visible hand veins.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): DVT is a serious medical condition in which a blood clot occurs in a limb. If you experience visible hand veins along with pain and swelling in one hand, this could indicate DVT and requires immediate attention.
• Superficial thrombophlebitis: This is a blood clot in a superficial hand vein and makes the vein feel firm, tender and hot. It requires medical treatment.

Hand Vein Treatments

If hand veins are not a symptom of a medical condition the treatment we recommend is to use dermal fillers to restore volume in the hand to disguise the hand veins. This hand vein treatment is highly effective, safe, and requires no down time from work.

What are dermal fillers?

Dermal fillers are a hugely popular cosmetic treatment which are most often used to create fullness in the lips, reduce wrinkles and lift sagging facial skin. Filler comes in the form of a gel that gets injected into the skin of the hand.

How are dermal fillers used in hand vein treatments?

We have been treating hand veins using dermal fillers for over 25 years and have found them to be incredibly effective at restoring fullness in the hands so that the veins are far less visible and no longer bulge from the skin.

Dermal filler is injected using a ‘cannula’ which is a safe way to deliver the dermal filler beneath the skin. The hyaluronic acid in the filler acts like a sponge to absorb fluid and replace the volume lost in the tissues with ageing. This creates more padding around the veins to make them less visible.

How long does hand vein treatment take?

Treatment usually takes around 45 minutes, after which you can return to work.

Are results instant?

Results are apparent immediately and continue to develop over the next two to three weeks.

Are there any risks or side effects to using dermal filler for hand vein treatment?

Hand vein treatment is not recommended for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. After treatment there may be some redness, tenderness, swelling or bruising around the treated area.

After having treatment we recommend that you avoid intense exercise, alcohol and touching the area for the remainder of the day, and avoid flying internationally for one week.

In extremely rare cases there is the chance of blisters or pustules forming, or painful discolouration in the skin of the hands as a result of vascular compromise, both of which require urgent medical attention.

How long do results last?

Hand vein results can last between 6 and 24 months. The filler we use is Juvederm, which is an industry leading brand and the longest lasting filler available.

What is the cost of hand vein treatment?

A single syringe of dermal filler starts at $930. The amount of filler required will depend on the scale of the hand veins. Before treatment you will be required to book a consultation where your hand veins can be assessed and a hand vein treatment cost will be discussed.

If your hand veins are a symptom of a medical issue, our vein doctors can guide you through the below treatments:

• Phlebitis treatment: In less severe cases superficial clots can be treated with anti-inflammatory medication and compression to the hands and arms. In more severe cases an anticoagulant (blood thinning medication) may also be required.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis treatment: DVT would require anticoagulants and an ultrasound to check its progress. We would also screen for Paget-Schroetter syndrome which can sometimes be a cause of DVT.

To learn more about hand vein treatments or to book your consultation, please contact our reception team on 0800 4 PALM CLINIC or [email protected]

Wrinkles worse on one side of the face?

Ever wondered why you have more wrinkles on one side of the face?  Over many years of sleeping on one side of the face (usually facing away from your partner) the lines become entrenched and noticeably different to the other side.

You can try sleeping on the other side of the bed or sleep with support for the neck so that you tend to sleep in a neutral position.

Failing that the lines can be treated with dermal fillers and volumising.

The costs of liposuction vary enormously depending on a number of factors:

1.  Your weight and height.

2.  The area you want to have treated. This is really important because liposuction can vary between small intricate areas through to large surface areas like the abdomen, hips and inner thighs for example.

3.  Whether a general anaesthetic is required – I use the tumescent (local) anaesthetic technique which does not carry the GA cost.

4.  Whether the procedure is carried out as a day stay procedure or not.  All my procedures are half day only so there is no additional hospital cost.

Because of these variables I like to quote the cost of liposculpture at the initial consultation so I can give you an accurate cost rather than a guess over the phone.  For those who live outside Auckland I can provide an estimate of cost if you send photos to [email protected]

Varicose eczema and varicose ulcers

Brown pigmentation of the skin, swelling (oedema) and dry, flaky or itchy skin (eczema/dermatitis), are all signs of damage to the skin of the leg from varicose vein disease.  In the advanced stages of varicose veins the skin can break down completely and cause a varicose ulcer.

Varicose eczema tends to be very resistant to treatment with usual steroid creams.  Varicose ulcers require frequent specialised dressings, correction with compression hosiery and take months to heal.  If the varicose veins are treated these problems will resolve relatively quickly.

This is an area best approached conservatively. The transverse lines across your forehead are formed by repeated raising of your eyebrows over many years. Botox® works best in this area and acts by softening the elevation of the brows. Obviously a strong dose here, while eliminating the lines may rob you of your ability to raise your eyebrows and thereby your expression. This is a look we often see on celebrities in the States. The key to treating the forehead is to tailor the dose for the individual, to soften the lines but retain expression!

Botox® and Dysport are Prescription Medicines containing 100 units of clostridium botulinum Type A toxin complex for injection. It is used for the treatment of severe frown lines of the face. It should be administered only by trained medical professionals. Arrange a consultation to discuss the benefits/risks of this procedure in appearance medicine. Cautions: people with defective neuromuscular transmission disorders, presence of infection at site of injection, glaucoma, pregnancy and lactation. Possible side effects include headaches, pain, burning or redness at injection site, local muscle weakness including drooping eyelids, lack of feeling and nausea. If you have side effects or concerns speak to a doctor. A charge applies. Note: Botox® and Dysport treatment lasts about 4 months and after this time further courses of treatment could be necessary. Arrange a consultation to discuss your own situation.

¹ Benedetto A. The Cosmetic Uses of Botulinum toxin type A. Int J Dermatol 1999, 38:6641.655

This is an area we really enjoy treating. Just like your hands or your eyes, no two set of lips are the same, so you can’t apply a cookie-cutter approach. We sometimes see results of the ‘one size fits all’ lip treatment and are disappointed because this will put many off dermal fillers thinking this is all they can achieve. At Palm Clinic we’re all about natural results. In the lips this means hydrating and subtly augmenting the lips without them looking “done”.