McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Date posted — 18.07.25
Varicose veins affect around 20% of the population in Scotland, yet many people are unaware of the early signs or may mistake them for something less serious. Symptoms often start subtly, such as aching legs, mild swelling, or changes in skin texture, which can easily be dismissed as normal ageing or tiredness. However, varicose veins are progressive, meaning they tend to worsen over time if left untreated. The good news? Early intervention can make a dramatic difference, not just cosmetically, but in how your legs feel and function.
At McKeown Medical, we believe that educating people early about the signs of varicose veins can help reduce complications, improve quality of life, and make treatment more straightforward. If you’ve ever wondered what to watch for, here’s what you need to know.
To understand varicose veins, it is helpful to start with how the veins in your legs function. The venous system carries deoxygenated blood back to your heart. In the legs, blood must flow upwards against gravity, and this is made possible by a series of one-way valves inside the veins that keep blood flowing in the right direction.
When these valves become weakened or damaged, blood can pool in the lower veins, causing them to become enlarged, twisted, and bulging—what we recognise as varicose veins.
Common misconceptions:
Here are the signs to look out for in the early stages, even before veins become obviously visible:
A common early symptom. Your legs may feel heavy or tired, especially after standing or sitting for long periods. It’s often worse at the end of the day.
You might notice a dull ache or throbbing sensation in your legs. This may be more noticeable during hot weather or after physical activity.
Mild swelling around the ankles or lower legs may come and go, often mistaken for fluid retention or standing too long.
Look for dryness, itchiness, or a mild brown discolouration of the skin. Over time, untreated varicose veins can cause eczema-like changes or even hardening of the skin (lipodermatosclerosis).
Early varicose veins may appear as thin, blue or purple lines beneath the skin before they bulge. Don’t ignore these subtle signs.
Many people describe a strong urge to move their legs at night or experience nighttime cramps, often one of the first clues that something is wrong with the venous circulation.
You may feel a burning or tingling sensation in the lower legs, which may be confused with nerve issues or simple fatigue.
These symptoms often worsen with prolonged standing and improve with elevation, a key distinction from other causes of leg discomfort. Most varicose veins occur in the lower legs, but they can also affect the thighs, ankles, or feet.
While anyone can develop varicose veins, some people are more prone than others. Having risk factors doesn’t guarantee you’ll develop the condition, but it does increase the likelihood, especially if multiple factors apply.
Non-modifiable risk factors:
Modifiable risk factors:
If you’re in a high-risk group, early screening and lifestyle changes can help delay or prevent symptoms altogether.
If you’re noticing any of the signs above, or if you’re in a high-risk group and want peace of mind, it’s worth booking a consultation. Many people wait until symptoms become severe, but earlier assessment often means simpler, less invasive treatment options.
At McKeown Medical, we offer a wide range of modern treatments, including:
Varicose veins are common, but they don’t need to be permanent. Catching the early signs can make a significant difference—not only in how your legs look but also in how they feel. With modern, minimally invasive treatment options, managing varicose veins has never been easier.
At McKeown Medical, we offer the latest diagnostic tools and treatment options tailored to your needs. Whether you’re noticing the first signs or want to be proactive, our team is here to help you feel confident and comfortable again.
Varicose veins are common, but can easily be treated. At McKeown Medical, we have a wide range of treatment options available that can help combat this issue. Discuss which treatment may be best for you and book a consultation with our team today.
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
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Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
Here’s another gorgeous upper blepharoplasty result from our phenomenal surgeon, @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is 62 years old and came to us for upper eyelid surgery just 2.5 months ago. Russell performed the procedure while she was awake with just a few numbing injections. Here at the clinic we can offer facial surgery with local anaesthetic for those who want to remain awake, or with deep sedation for anyone who’d prefer to sleep throughout (without the downsides of general anaesthetic!)
Thank you to this patient for allowing us to share her fabulous result - her scars are already settling beautifully and will continue to fade over the next 12 months.
What do you think?
Our resident superstar breast surgery expert Dr Kavita was asked to talk about trends in breast surgery on BBC Radio Scotland today. This was Kavita’s first ever live interview and we thought she nailed it!
What do you think?
And this is why combination treatments always win!
This lovely patient is in her 50s and was noticing all of the classic signs of ageing. She was starting to see some jowls forming, the neck was becoming more saggy and she felt she was looking tired.
At this stage in the ageing process it is not one thing that is responsible for causing the tired expression, its a combination of changes that are working together which is why we need a combination of treatments to target it effectively.
We did some sofwave treatment first to tighten the skin on the face and neck. Sofwave is very effective at tightening the skin, but remember: the skin is only the outer layer of the face, so we supported the treatment with some volume replacement in the deeper layers.
I decided to post her selfie style before and afters as well as her clinical pictures so you can see how it looks in real life, as well as the clinical up-close detail. The patient is over the moon with her results.
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Here is another beautifully balanced deep plane face and neck lift by the skilful @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The deep plane technique, as the name suggests, works at a deeper level, repositioning the underlying structures of the face and neck rather than simply tightening the skin. By addressing the deeper tissues, we can restore more natural proportions, refine the jawline, and create a smoother, more defined contour beneath the chin - especially when the patient moves or bends their neck forward.
To achieve this impressive improvement in the neck, even in flexion, Russell reduced the deep fat (from under the muscle), trimmed and shaped the salivary glands and reconstructed the muscles of the neck to create a rejuvenated result. This is a much more sophisticated procedure compared with a standard face and neck lift.
At just 2 months post-op, her result is already beautifully balanced. The jawline is sharper, the neck more sculpted, and everything sits in harmony with the rest of her features. Scars are settling well and will continue to soften over time.
She may choose to refine things further with laser resurfacing for skin quality and subtle volume restoration in the mid-face, but even at this stage, the transformation speaks for itself.
Thank you to our patient for allowing us to share her journey.
What do you think?
Thank you to this lovely patient for allowing us to share her beautiful result from the talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is just 2.5 months after upper eyelid surgery, and already looking incredibly fresh and natural. The scars are settling very well and will continue to soften over the coming months.
The incisions are carefully placed within the natural eyelid crease, making them very difficult to see once healed. Excess skin has been removed to open up the eye area, while maintaining a soft, natural appearance.
A small amount of muscle was reduced at the outer part of the eyelid to address hooding, without affecting the central area. This helps preserve a youthful fullness above the eye. There has also been a conservative reduction of the lateral brow fat to further refine the contour. This highly tailored, bespoke approach to surgery is the attention to detail that lies at the heart of our clinic’s approach and philosophy.
As with many patients, her anatomy meant these changes developed earlier than expected. In the right cases, surgery at a younger age can deliver a subtle but very impactful improvement.
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Happy Easter from our excited little bunnies 🐣🐰
Thank you to our lovely patient for allowing us to share these photos.
This is just 4 weeks after her first session (of three) with Juläine and we’re already starting to see a soft return of fullness and improvement in skin quality.
Juläine is not a traditional filler. It works by stimulating your body’s own collagen production, gradually restoring structure, firmness and elasticity from within.
This is just the beginning. As collagen continues to rebuild over the coming weeks and months, results will become more noticeable with improved support, smoother contours and a natural, refreshed appearance.
The patient is delighted with her progress so far. What do you think?
And this is why HA fillers have never gone out of fashion in our practice!
This lovely patient had all the classic signs of volume loss in her face and there is no other non-surgical treatment that can address this quite as quickly, effectively and non-invasively as HA filler. Of course, it needs to be carefully and sensitively applied.
This patient had a total of 10mls of HA as well as some wrinkle relaxing on the upper face. She is delighted with her restoration. What do you think?
Upper eyelid surgery isn’t just for ageing eyes! Some patients naturally have excess upper eyelid skin from a young age due to their anatomy, like this 29-year-old patient who had a congenital upper eyelid fold and recently underwent an upper blepharoplasty with the ever-talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The excess eyelid skin rested directly on her eyelashes, causing irritation and a persistent feeling of heaviness around the eyes which had been bothering her for several years. Upper eyelid surgery can address both functional symptoms and aesthetic concerns, helping patients achieve a lighter, more open eye appearance.
This patient is just 7 weeks after surgery. At this early stage of healing the scars are still maturing and in younger patients this process can take slightly longer. The incision is placed within the natural eyelid crease and as healing progresses the scar typically fades and becomes extremely difficult to see, often blending into the natural eyelid fold.
She`s delighted with the results so far, and we`re grateful to her for allowing us to share her results with you.
What do you think?