Blog Archive
Many pregnancy benefits include glowing skin and thick, shiny hair. Unfortunately, there are also some less pleasant side effects, which often include feelings of heaviness and swelling in the legs. Sometimes changes in the leg veins during pregnancy cause little discomfort. However, vein problems, such as aching legs and severe...
Overuse, dehydration, strain, or even just holding a position for too long can cause leg cramps. However, the root cause is frequently unknown. Many different medical conditions can cause leg cramps and pain. Leg pain typically results from a musculoskeletal injury or illness, such as tendonitis, arthritis, or a fracture....
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease, is a condition in which your legs experience uncomfortable or unpleasant feelings. As soon as you relax or go to sleep, you feel like you have to move your legs constantly because of a tingling or tugging feeling. Experiencing this discomfort...
A charley horse is a muscle spasm anywhere in the body, although they usually occur suddenly in leg muscles. You can experience a charley horse while exercising, playing sports, or sleeping. This kind of muscle spasm can last several minutes and be very painful. Though a charley horse might occur...
Stasis dermatitis is a condition that involves inflammation of the lower legs caused by blood and fluid stagnation. This means that veins are damaged, preventing normal blood flow. It largely occurs in people with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). With two offices in St. Louis, Missouri, Eric Mai, MD, and our...
Treating acne scars with a laser is an increasingly popular option for improving or even healing acne scars on the face. Scarring, subsequent pigment disorders, unpredictable cosmetic results, or changes in facial expressions can occur with conventional methods like deep chemical peels or dermabrasion. However, the Fotona laser system is...
Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is a rare disorder, affecting only one newborn per 20,000-40,000 births. It causes abnormalities in the vascular system with no known cure. The primary goal of treatment is symptom relief and preventive care. Board-certified physician Dr. Eric Mai at STL Vein & Cosmetics develops personalized long-term treatment plans for patients with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome to...
You might experience leg pain for several reasons, but it happens to be one of the first signs of vein disease. When left untreated, it can lead to dangerous complications like leg ulcers or deep vein thrombosis. Dr. Eric Mai at STL Vein & Cosmetics is a board-certified physician specializing...
LipLase™ is a proprietary Fotona laser treatment that enhances the appearance of the lips using laser energy and collagen regeneration, giving them a fuller, more natural appearance. Although this treatment is similar to lip fillers, it’s non-invasive, non-surgical, doesn’t involve puncturing or cutting the skin, and is relatively painless. Dr....
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is also known as Willis-Ekbom disease. It’s a disorder that creates an intensely uncomfortable leg sensation, causing you to feel an overwhelming need to move your legs. Up to 10 percent of Americans have RLS. Women are more likely to suffer from this condition than men. ...
Age spots are a discoloration of the skin that occurs predominantly on the face and hands, which are the areas most frequently exposed to the sun. The older a person gets and the more UV rays they’ve been exposed to, the more likely they are to experience age spots. At...
You’ve most likely experienced leg cramps at some point in your life, and usually, they’re nothing to worry about. However, chronic leg discomfort could be a symptom of underlying vein disease. Eric Mai, MD, and the STL Vein & Cosmetics team specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of vein disease...
Willis-Ekbom Disease, better known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), causes uncomfortable or unpleasant sensations in your legs. This sparks an overpowering urge to move them, hence the restlessness. Specialists estimate 7-10% of Americans have RLS. It occurs in both men and women, although women are more likely to experience the...
If you want to turn back the hands of time and erase the unwanted signs of aging, you’re not alone. Glowing, youthful skin is often replaced with dullness and wrinkles as you get older. Crow's feet, droopy eyelids, and wrinkles around the eyes are among the most common and first...
Scars are a natural way your body heals. Unfortunately, some scars can hurt your self-esteem or make you feel self-conscious. Laser therapy is an innovative way to reduce or remove the appearance of scarred tissue. Dr. Eric Mai at STL Vein and Cosmetics in St. Louis performs state-of-the-art laser therapy...
As the name suggests, spider veins are thin blue lines that appear on the legs, usually on the lower leg, that resemble a spider's web. The symptoms of spider veins can be both cosmetic and physical. Most of the time, patients are unaware of any physical symptoms they may experience,...
Varicose veins may be a cosmetic issue that contributes to low self-esteem, but they also cause pain and discomfort. Plus, they’re an indication of your overall vascular health. Dr. Eric Mai and our compassionate crew at STL Vein and Cosmetics in St. Louis, Missouri, treat the underlying cause of varicose...
Pain or discomfort in the leg can have different causes. Anyone who has constant leg pain or visible varicose veins should seek medical advice. Leg pain treatment differs tremendously depending on your individual issues. Because every patient is unique, Dr. Eric Mai and our expert team at STL Vein and...
If you’ve always assumed that spider veins only appear on your legs, think again. Unfortunately, they can appear anywhere on your body — even your face. Dr. Eric Mai and our team at STL Vein and Cosmetics have helped many of our patients grapple with the challenge of visible spider...
What is Venous Stasis? Simply put, it is a term referring to what happens when venous blood flow is congested or impacted by some dysfunction within the venous system especially at the level of the dermis (skin). In the majority of cases, this disruption in flow is the result of...
Depression is a well-documented medical condition within the general population. Indeed, the vast majority of individuals have probably had days when they felt down at some point in their lives. Whether these feelings ultimately warrant the diagnosis of depression is dependent greatly upon the severity of a person’s symptoms. Depression...
Vein disease is an extremely common medical condition that is believed to afflict over 30 million Americans according to the Society of Vascular Medicine. Unfortunately, it is believed that only 10 percent will actually seek treatment for their aliment. Why such a small percentage, no one really knows. Perhaps it is...
When patients come into the office, one of the biggest fears going into treatment is often times the thought of having a laser vein treatment. The majority of people are probably imagining those laser pistols used in Star Wars or Star Trek being fired at them. That is fantasy. In...
Varicose veins, spider veins, and a variety of other vein conditions are a source of discomfort for many people. They can impact a person both mentally and physically over time. Not only do vein disease sufferers experience physical symptoms, they can also feel the embarrassment and self-consciousness that can come...
I hope that you and your family continue to remain safe and healthy. I am sure that all of you have been following the daily COVID-19 updates like we have been. Indeed, we are all experiencing an unprecedented time within the United States and the world. Hopefully an experience that...
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is becoming increasingly prevalent within the United States today. Nearly one in ten adults in the United States has been diagnosed with RLS with even more children and adults being diagnosed every year. We hear the term RLS being thrown around in public almost daily yet...
Varicose veins, spider veins, and a variety of other vein conditions are not the “cosmetic” issue that most tend to believe. In fact, vein issues are oftentimes the underlying cause of many of the complaints of discomfort, cramping, and restlessness that people often report. The problem is that they just...
The answer to this question is unique to each individual primarily because people seek help for different reasons. Some people focus on the cosmetic, while others are looking for symptomatic relief. One reason that compels some people to delay treatment is that within modern society, vein issues are most commonly...
Most people see Varicose veins as those large ugly ropey veins that bulge above the skin surface. Most people are probably not aware that varicose veins are only one manifestation of a medical condition known as Varicose vein disease. This condition results from a progressive breakdown of the valves found...
With summer quickly approaching, there is no better time to show off your legs. Unfortunately, when many of us look down, we see those ugly spider veins that map our legs. Although we know that we should not feel bad about having them, many of us find it difficult feeling...
Food and water play an essential role in the overall state of our health. We now know that specific dietary options are critical to maintaining a person’s vein health and hopefully prevent future varicose vein formation. Varicose veins are twisted, swollen, and sometimes painful veins visible on some people’s legs....
Varicose vein treatments have evolved over the years. In the era of our parents and grandparents, you had the painful stripping surgeries whereby the varicose vein was literally pulled out of the leg. In the 90’s we saw the introduction of the Endovenous laser ablation procedure, which has rightfully taken...
It’s finally the end of the school year. You have spent the academic year teaching and caring for your students. Not that it is finally summer vacation, it is now time to take care of yourself. Sit back and relax for a few months before the grind of the next...