If you’re currently considering vein treatment, or if you’ve recently undergone vein treatment, you may be worried that your problem veins might return.

After going through time, effort, and resources to take care of your varicose veins, this is an understandable fear, and one that we hear a lot in our Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based clinic. 

Fortunately, the answer to whether varicose veins can come back after treatment is simple: No, they cannot. However, there’s a substantial amount of nuance here that’s important to know.

In this article, we’ll discuss why you may still develop varicose veins after varicose vein treatment, as well as detail how you can minimize your risk of having vein issues in the future.

Why Do Varicose Veins Develop?

In order to better understand how varicose veins might return, it’s important to know why one might develop varicose veins in the first place.

For context, varicose veins occur when the valves in your veins malfunction, causing blood to pool and veins to become enlarged and twisted.

While anyone can develop varicose veins, there are a few risk factors that can increase one’s likelihood of having them.

For example, one is more likely to develop varicose veins as they grow older, as veins become more prone to valve issues over time.

Next, hormonal changes, such as those that come with pregnancy or menopause, may contribute to vein problems,

Lifestyle can also play a role in varicose vein development, as people who are inactive or obese have an increased likelihood of developing varicose veins.

Finally, one may simply have a greater chance of developing varicose veins if their family has a history of varicose veins.

As is likely apparent from reading the above text, these factors aren’t impacted by varicose vein treatment. As such, the aforementioned factors can still contribute to the development of new varicose veins, even after treatment.

That said, the specific veins that are treated as part of a varicose vein procedure will not become varicose veins once more.

Why Might New Varicose Veins Appear?

Even if one has some veins treated, there is always a chance that other varicose veins might develop.

This is because all of the above risk factors are still risk factors following vein treatment. For example, hormonal changes, continuing to stand or sit for long periods of time, gaining weight, and aging can all play a role in the development of new veins.

Not only that, but chronic venous insufficiency is a progressive condition. While it can be slowed and new vein development can be prevented, there is always the possibility that other veins could become affected.

How to Prevent New Varicose Veins from Forming

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways that one can prevent new varicose veins from developing following vein treatment.

First, one can change their lifestyle in a way that encourages proper vein health. This can include maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding prolonged periods of standing or sitting, and staying active.

While this may seem like a daunting task, there is a long list of minor changes that one can make to their life in order to improve their vein health. For example, adding just a little more walking every day or doing some exercises at home can do wonders for the prevention of varicose vein development. Even simply elevating one’s legs while resting can help reduce pressure in the legs and encourage blood flow.

Finally, one can consider wearing compression stockings, which can help improve circulation and prevent blood from pooling the veins.

If you’re concerned about the possibility that you might develop new varicose veins, simply discuss the matter with your vein specialist, and schedule a follow-up visit to review the current status of your veins.

Conclusion

While varicose vein treatments are highly effective at addressing the problem veins you already have, they don’t make you immune to developing new varicose veins.

Factors like genetics, age, lifestyle, and overall health play significant roles in whether new veins appear.

However, there are many ways to prevent new varicose veins from forming. By following your vein specialist’s recommendations and making proactive lifestyle changes, you can significantly reduce the risk of varicose veins returning, allowing you to enjoy long-lasting results.

If you’re concerned about varicose veins returning or want to explore treatment options, schedule a consultation today.