I left my appointment pleased with the convenience and pain level of the actual procedure.
Post-Treatment What to Expect
Navarro warned me that I would develop what he calls "black and blues" -- bruising that could last up to 2 weeks. And I did. I was grateful I got the treatment in March, when it was too cold out to show off my legs.The only thing I didn't like about the post-treatment was wearing support hose to bed the first night. I had to take a sleeping pill to sleep and it was still a fitful night. And then there was the problem of washing the one pair of support hose and having them dry completely before wearing. I've never been a hose person, but I was glad they dried quickly.
After the injections my legs looked just as Navarro's assistant warned, "Like a construction site." I was told I had to endure the messiness knowing that the end results would be beautiful. Having that expectation helped me live through the painful period of the "black and blues" even though more than once at the gym I forgot about the bruising and stripped down in front of a roomful of women. Oops.
Follow-up Treatments & What to Expect
I ended up having 5 treatments but some women need only a couple sessions, others need more than I had. It's all dependent on how well your veins take to the treatment and how much you want to pay.The veindirectory.org suggests people wait a couple weeks between treatments to allow the swelling and bruising to go down but I got 5 treatments within 2 weeks because Navarro said the closer I got them together the less time I would have to spend bruised.
Women from all over the world flock to his office to get their legs done in a matter of a week or even a few days. "People come to New York to shop and at the same time get their veins done." Sometimes he does 3-4 treatments in one day. An expert, Navarro can easily see how treatments are working. "You leave with black and blues, but no live veins."
Each follow-up treatment was the same: Dr. Navarro studied my legs, complimented me on my healing capacity (I got an A-plus) and got to work injecting any veins that were still clinging to life. I was covered in ointment and cotton balls, wrapped in the bandages and sent home to my support hose. As the days progressed I saw amazing results. Almost immediately the blue veins on my left leg had disappeared. The veins on my right leg took a few treatments, but also disappeared.
On the final visit, Navarro popped the spots on my legs that were caused by trapped blood. This was actually a bit painful because he pokes the dots with a needle and then squeezes out the blood as if he were popping zits.
It's now a full two weeks since my last treatment and the black and blues are gone and so are the blue veins. There's a good chance I will be coming back once every few years for maintenance as veins naturally develop on my legs. But I am so excited with the results I asked Navarro if he could please find such a miracle cure for cellulite. Then my legs would be in perfect shape.
He laughed at that so I turned my attention to the ropey blue veins on my hands and wondered if maybe, just maybe, I should have them erased, too. After all, Navarro said he saw beautiful results on hands. Nah. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Editor's note: The treatments at The Vein Treatment Center were given complimentary to the writer.
For more information on the Vein Treatment Center, visit their Website or contact them at:
The Vein Treatment Center
327 E 65th St, New York, NY 10065
(212) 249-6117
