Varicose veins affect approximately 25-30% of the U.S. population and are three times more common in women than men.  Varicose veins are superficial veins that have lost their ability to appropriately carry blood up and out of the leg and are allowing the blood to flow backward toward the feet.   This is a result of broken valves inside the veins. Once a vein has become varicose it won’t go back to normal and must be treated. If left untreated, severe varicose veins can ultimately lead to chronic leg pain and swelling, eczema-type symptoms, skin thickening and discoloration, and even ulcerations that won’t heal until the veins are treated.