Venous Insufficiency Symptoms: After wearing socks, marks often appear on the feet. Let us explain what causes this and whether it poses any health problems.

Why do feet get marks after taking off socks?

Why Do Socks Leave Marks on Your Ankles? After wearing socks all day, when we remove them, we often notice slight marks around the ankles. In most cases, this is completely normal. The slight pressure of the elastic of the socks causes temporary marks on the skin and they disappear on their own within a few minutes. However, if these marks are deeper, last longer, or appear along with swelling in the feet, doctors advise considering them a signal from the body.

Sometimes, this can indicate a problem with blood circulation or fluid balance in the body. However, sock marks alone are not a sure sign of any disease. The key factor is how often these marks appear, how deep they are, and whether or not they are accompanied by other symptoms.

Why does the problem occur?

In fact, the skin of the lower legs is soft and easily bruises under pressure. When socks apply pressure to the feet for several hours, a slight depression forms on the skin. This mark usually disappears quickly after removing the socks. However, if the feet are slightly swollen, the same pressure can pressurize the fluid accumulated under the skin, causing the mark to appear deeper and last longer. Doctors call this condition peripheral edema, which is a buildup of fluid in the tissues around the feet and ankles.

What do experts say?

According to vascular surgeon Dr. Varun Bansal, patients often first notice dark sock marks and later discover they have a blood circulation problem in their legs. He says that if dark sock marks repeatedly appear, it could be a sign of poor blood flow, fluid retention, or venous insufficiency. In venous insufficiency, the veins in the legs are unable to properly return blood to the heart, leading to swelling in the lower extremities.

This problem is more common in some people, such as those who work sitting or standing for long periods of time, those who have a less active lifestyle, or those with heart, kidney, or diabetes-related problems. Keeping your legs still for long periods slows blood flow and causes fluid to accumulate in the legs.

You can avoid it in these ways

Doctors say that if sock marks are accompanied by heaviness, swelling, discoloration, or pain in the legs, it should not be ignored and a doctor should be consulted. However, the good news is that some simple habits can help maintain good blood circulation. Regular walking, resting with your legs slightly elevated, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding wearing very tight socks can all be helpful.