Spending your days by the water in the dead of summer—whether you’re on the beach or at the pool—is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ways to beat the heat and get some sun. And while being waterside may be one of your greatest joys, preparing yourself for your bathing suit season debut may not be something you’re looking forward to, especially if you have varicose veins. Luckily, there are some easy tricks you can use to cover up your varicose veins this summer so you can feel confident at the pool.

Give Yourself a Fake Tan

Varicose veins are typically dark and highly visible, particularly if your skin is pale from being locked inside all winter. When your skin is tan, your varicose veins are much less visible. In order to get the tan you need to feel comfortable hanging out at the pool, you don’t need to get out in the sun in a bathing suit. Instead, visit the tanning salon to get a spray tan or buy a tanning lotion that you can apply yourself at home. If you plan to get in the water, make sure to choose a waterproof option. The fake tan will help camouflage your varicose veins and will also make you look like you’ve been out sunning all summer.

Use a Special Makeup

If you don’t like the look of a fake tan, you can buy a special makeup designed to cover blemishes on the body that can be applied over your varicose veins. Just like concealer you would use on your face, body makeup can be matched to your skin tone so that it’s virtually unnoticeable. Many forms of body makeup are also waterproof, so there’s no need to worry about your varicose veins peeking through if you choose to jump in the water and cool off.

Wear a Maxi Dress

If you’re planning to hang out by the pool but not really get in, add some summer maxi dresses to your wardrobe. A long summer maxi dress will cover your legs without making it obvious that you have something to hide. Your best choice when buying summer maxi dresses is to choose ones that fit loosely and are made of cotton so that the summer breeze will flow through the material easily and keep you cool. Maxi dresses with flowing skirts are also easily gathered if you decide to at least put your feet in the water to cool off.

Tired of Hiding Your Legs?

While there are a number of ways to mask your varicose veins and still enjoy your summer, the methods either take a lot of time to apply or prevent you from enjoying all of the things you want to do. If you’re tired of trying to hide your legs because of embarrassment over varicose veins, there are several types of treatments available to reduce the visibility of varicose veins or get rid of them altogether. Check out our cost calculator to discover the cost of the different types of treatments available.