Cleopatra admired varicose veins. In fact, she might have even tied tight bands around her knees in an attempt to develop them. The long, snake-like blood vessels were seen as a beauty enhancer in Cleo’s Egypt. They were in vogue. They made the skin and the legs more beautiful, and one might surmise, more interesting.

Now, people spend thousands of dollars to get rid of them. Varicose veins are unsightly. Treatments include injecting foam into the vein to collapse it or surgery to strip the offending veins right out of your leg. Ouch.

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