How to Lower Your Risk of Developing Spider Veins

What Causes Spider Veins and How to Reduce Your Risks

Learn how to recognize the symptoms of spider veins so you can seek treatment and work to prevent their appearance.

Common Causes of Spider Veins

Spider veins are caused by increased pressure in the veins, and they’re typically hereditary. When blood pools in veins near the surface of your skin, spider veins form. Those who have a job that requires them to stand for prolonged periods of time, such as nurses and teachers, put more pressure on their legs and are therefore more likely to develop spider veins.

Additionally, spider veins can be caused by:

Trauma
Fluctuations in hormone levels (pregnancy)
Obesity
Heredity

Symptoms of Spider Veins

If you notice a patchwork of blue and red veins through your skin, most often located on your legs, this is the most common sign of spider veins. Also known as thread veins, these small veins can appear on your face, thighs, or calves. Other symptoms may include:

Tiredness in the legs
Feeling as if the legs are heavier
Swelling in the legs

Why Are Women More Susceptible to Varicose Veins and Spider Veins?

It seems there are certain joys that only women can experience, such as carrying a child during pregnancy. However, there are other conditions that women seem to experience more than men — including spider veins and varicose veins.

Pregnancy, obesity, and old age can all increase your risks of developing spider veins. Progesterone is a hormone produced by both men and women, which is closely related to the menstrual cycle which prepares the female uterus for pregnancy. Though more common in women, men can still get spider veins.

Lowering Your Risks of Spider Veins

You may not be able to completely prevent spider veins from appearing, but the best thing to help lower your risks is having good leg circulation. This means you should keep your blood flowing by walking or running. Other preventative options include:

Treat your varicose veins to reduce pressure on the affected area.
Wear compression stockings if you’ll be on your feet for a long time.

Effective Treatments for Spider Veins

If symptoms accompany spider veins such as heaviness, swelling, aching, cramping, a medical evaluation is typically performed to determine any underlying medical conditions causing your spider veins. Your doctor can examine your legs while you’re sitting or standing and may do further testing such as an ultrasound or a venogram to determine if you have spider veins.

Once diagnosed, you can seek treatment atAlbert Vein Institute for the following spider vein removal treatments:

Visual Cosmetic Sclerotherapy

Visual cosmetic sclerotherapy is done only on surface veins to treat their appearance. A foam or liquid substance is injected directly into spider veins with a fine needle, causing the walls of the veins to close.

Each session typically takes about 15 to 30 minutes per appointment. The amount of sessions you’ll need depends on the size of the vein and how well your veins respond to the treatment. Most patients require 2-4 sessions for the best results.

For smaller spider veins, most patients typically see results in three to six weeks. However, for the treatment of larger spider veins, results may be seen after three to four months.

Topical Laser Treatment

Our specialists use topical laser treatments to remove the red thread-like veins on the surface of the skin. We use a laser to penetrate the superficial blood vessels, which coagulates (clots) the blood and causes the vessel to collapse and seal.

Veins are treated through the skin during this treatment, causing the time length of the procedure to vary depending on the patient. To achieve the best results, more than one session is often needed.

Spider Vein Treatment in Lone Tree Colorado

If you’re struggling with spider veins, look no further than Albert Vein Institute for help. Our goal, first and foremost, is to meet our patients’ needs; we strive to be open and transparent with all of our patients. You have our guarantee that you will never be recommended tests or treatments unless we truly believe that it will serve your best interests.