There’s nothing worse than nicking yourself while shaving your legs. We’ve all done it. A tiny little slip, and you’ve got a cut. It can be tricky to shave your legs without cutting yourself, especially around those dang ankle bones! But when you have varicose veins, shaving can be even trickier.

Varicose veins are blocked veins that start to bulge and protrude out. In severe cases, they can form a large vein bulge that is not only painful and irritating but can also make shaving your legs very difficult. It’s hard to navigate around the bulging vein. If you happen to nick the vein and cut yourself, it will bleed significantly more than the average shaving cut, especially in a warm shower or bath, which will increase the bleeding.

How much blood can you expect when you nick a varicose vein? That depends. In some cases, affected veins may spontaneously burst and bleed on their own. Often there is usually only a small amount, and you can elevate your leg and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. But in some cases, the bleeding may be excessive, and you will need to seek medical treatment. It all depends on the pressure inside the damaged vein and the severity of the damage to the vein walls. That’s why you should always seek treatment for varicose veins before they become large and potentially dangerous.

So what hair removal options are the safest? Not very many. Two popular hair removal options, waxing and an epilator, are not recommended when you have large varicose veins. The heat from waxing can irritate the affected veins and your skin. An epilator, a device that pulls hair out by the root, can cause varicose veins to bleed. Your safest hair removal options are using a razor designed for dry skin or laser hair removal.

If hair removal is a challenge for you because of varicose veins, it’s time to seek treatment. We offer a few treatments for varicose vein removal, including endovenous laser ablation and microphlebectomy. These treatments are fast, easy to recover from and give you great results. If you miss the feeling of silky smooth, freshly shaved legs, it’s time to get rid of your varicose veins once and for all!