A World Without Sclerotherapy – What to do With Spider Veins

The brave new world of Coronavirus is upon us – quarantines, too many kids home for too many hours, meetings through the computer.  But the good old world of spider veins hasn’t gone away.  Many of you had spider vein injections scheduled, but they were canceled when the office closed.  So, you still have those ugly spider veins, and maybe you don’t want to let yourself go even in this world of social distancing.

There’s nothing to do but seek a temporary fix until you can get in to see Dr. Greenwald and get those unsightly patches definitively taken care of.  Various nutritional supplements are reputed to take care of spider veins.  But let’s be serious.  None of those witch’s potions are going to do the trick.

No, the only thing to do is to use concealer.  There are a variety of leg makeup products available.  Since we don’t usually recommend such products – after all, we would prefer to get rid of the spider veins than cover them up – it took some Googling to find products to recommend to you—a special shout-out to www.theirinashayk.com for some of this information.

There are three products that you can consider.

1. Covermark Leg Magic

This opaque makeup is also an SPF 16 sunscreen.  It only comes in one color, so it may not blend perfectly with your skin tone.  Dermablend, on the other hand, gives you a wide variety of colors to choose from.  Covermark lasts for 24 hours and is hypoallergenic.  It is also smudge-proof.  It has a sweat-proof foundation. “The best way to use the concealer is by applying a small amount on the outer surface of your hand, allowing it to gain your body temperature. Then, you can use either your fingers or a sponge to apply the foundation on the areas you want to cover. You should use only a light amount, increasing the heaviness on areas that are severely affected. Let it rest for three minutes.”

2. Sally Hansen Air Brush Legs

This option is the least expensive of the alternatives.  You can buy it on Amazon for only $11.74.  It comes in three colors.  That’s not the wide variety of colors that are available from Dermablend.  It contains Palmaria extract.  Sally Hansen says that it “helps stimulate microcirculation for healthier and firmer looking legs and feet.”  I suspect that’s marketing BS.  Just spray it on your hands and then apply it to your legs.  It’s said to be smudge-free, and it won’t transfer to your clothes.  This option is a low-cost alternative, though the Dermablend product may give you better coverage.

3. Dermablend Leg and Body Makeup Foundation

Made from a vegan formula, this Dermablend product can last for sixteen hours without smudging or transferring to clothes.  It also includes SPF 25 sunscreen.  It comes in twelve colors, so you should find a color that’s right for you. Dermablend’s directions are to apply a thin layer to the area that you are trying to conceal.  Let it dry and then use Dermablend Loose Setting Powder.  Then, dust off the excess with a powder brush.

Of these three products, Dermablend is our favorite.  It has the most effective sunscreen, comes in the most colors, and sells at a reasonable price point.  You can get all of these products from Amazon.

As spring is upon us, you may want to wear shorts or a skirt as you go for your daily quarantine walk.  These products will tide you over so you can show your legs until our office opens, and Dr. Greenwald can take care of those nasty spider veins for you.

Stay healthy.