Waterloo Road Star's Varicose Vein Revelation at Just 22
Television actress Tillie Amartey, best known for her role as Stacey Neville in the school drama Waterloo Road, has opened up about undergoing varicose vein treatment at the surprisingly young age of 22. The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special star decided to take action after noticing problematic veins in a red carpet photograph.
The Photo That Changed Everything
"On the picture I was turned backwards, doing a peace sign and I had my leg up," Amartey explained. "And I thought 'Gosh, I can't post that on social media because my vein looks scary.'" This moment prompted the young actress to seek medical advice for a condition she had quietly struggled with for years.
The 22-year-old had experienced swollen and twisted veins on the back of both legs, describing a persistent "heavy feeling" that made her legs feel "like lead" by the end of each day. Despite being an active person who regularly walks around television sets and frequents the gym, Amartey found the discomfort increasingly affecting her daily life.
Understanding Varicose Veins in Young Adults
Varicose veins occur when valves inside leg veins malfunction, preventing proper blood flow toward the heart. This causes blood to pool, leading to enlarged, twisted, or bulging veins. Common symptoms include leg heaviness, itching, tingling sensations, and swelling in lower legs or ankles, particularly in warmer weather.
"I think I've actually had varicose veins since being young," Amartey revealed. "Because it was at the back of my leg it never really bothered me. And then as I've got more into exercise and I've got slightly older I started to feel like it would get a bit tight, itchy and started to irritate me more."
Genetic factors played a role in her case, with Amartey's grandfather also suffering from varicose veins. The actress initially believed she would "just have to learn to love" this aspect of herself, unaware that effective treatments existed.
The Lunchtime Procedure with Unusual Side Effect
Amartey underwent an endovenous laser ablation procedure at the VeinCentre clinic in Leeds, with the entire process lasting less than an hour. "It was literally a lunchtime procedure," she said. "An hour, in and out. I feel so silly because I booked out my whole week's schedule."
The actress described the experience as "quite nice" with her consultant putting her "completely at ease." She noted that once the anaesthetic was administered, the procedure became "really chill" with the laser causing no pain.
Amartey shared an unusual detail about the treatment: "The only shock is that when the veins are getting burnt away you can taste them, a bit like Frazzles (crisps). But I quite like Frazzles, so it's fine."
Immediate Results and Renewed Confidence
"I was up and about instantly," Amartey reported. "I didn't just walk out happy, I pretty much skipped out. Straight after I was up and ready to go." The actress expressed being "thrilled with the results" and impressed that the procedure had "no impact on my busy schedule."
Reflecting on her transformed perspective, Amartey said: "My legs now feel like completely different legs. I used to have a real insecurity about feeling like my legs were too big for my body. But actually, now that I've analysed it and had my veins done, I don't think it's because I felt like my legs were too big. I think they just felt big because they were heavy because of the blood flow problem."
Medical Perspective on Young Patients
Dominic Dodd, a consultant vascular surgeon at VeinCentre who has performed over 7,000 endovenous laser ablations including Amartey's procedure, commented: "Varicose veins are incredibly common but many people think it's something that only affects older people. I commend Tillie for speaking so openly about this and for helping to raise awareness that people don't have to live in discomfort."
The surgeon emphasized that varicose veins can affect individuals of various ages and activity levels, contrary to common assumptions about the condition primarily impacting older demographics.
Amartey's decision to share her experience publicly aims to destigmatize vein conditions among younger people and encourage others experiencing similar symptoms to seek medical advice rather than accepting discomfort as inevitable.
