Varicose veins are veins close to the skin that appear swollen, twisted or stretched. Any vein in your body can become varicose but the veins in the legs, thighs and pelvic area particularly, are most commonly affected. Varicose veins are a common condition that is predominant among women and often get worse with age. So what causes varicose veins?

In most individuals, blood in the body travels through blood vessels; arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body and veins return blood to the heart. While walking, their leg muscles contract, and squeeze the deep veins pushing the blood upward to their heart and the valves, which are located inside the veins, to prevent the blood from flowing down in the wrong direction. For individuals with varicose veins, the walls of the veins stretch and become less flexible which in turn weakens the valves and stops them from working properly, blood then leaks down and builds up in different branches of the main vein causing them to swell and become unattractive in appearance.

Dr. Pierre Karam is a vascular surgeon working at Physimed Medispa. With his expertise, we can find a solution that best fits your needs to remove your varicose veins, no matter the severity.