The dreaded broken veins — who doesn’t have them — I have one perched right on my nose! Thankfully my legs have escaped them — surprisingly as they do run in my family.
However, over the past two years I have used horse chestnut cream and at times horse chestnut supplements. Firstly the reasons we get broken veins could be caused by many factors such as over exposure to the sun, pregnancy, the contraceptive pill, hereditary factors, ageing – as we get older the skin loses collagen and the subcutaneous fat becomes thinner, making the veins stand out and on rare occasions they can be a sign of thyroid disorder – ask for a blood test to check your levels. Horse chestnut is one of the few things that we know can help treat broken capillaries and varicose veins. It helps to tone and strengthen vein tissue, helping reduce some of the swelling and discomfort associated with the problem. If you’ve noticed more and more lately that the veins have become more prominent maybe it’s time to pick up some cream or even a supplement. As with all natural supplements, while they are perfectly harmless and can be bought without prescriptions, I would still recommend speaking to your GP before starting anything new. Horse chestnut products are available in health stores nation-wide.
