Spider veins, also known as telangiectasias and thread veins, are small, skinny veins that appear on the skin’s surface in a web-like pattern. They can happen any where on the body but are usually seen on the face or legs, and are more common in women than men.
These broken capillaries are not usually painful or harmful, but they are unsightly in appearance and can make you feel self-conscious. At Vein MD, we can treat the problem effectively, quickly, non-invasively, and with permanent results, restoring your self-esteem so that you can show your legs to the world once more.
Spider veins occur when valves inside veins stop working as they should. In healthyveins, blood flows smoothly to the heart through valves in a one-way system. Ifvalves are weak or damaged, blood can’t flow properly and will accumulate inside thevein. The vein branches out into thin visible threads, usually on the face and legs,which can be blue, red or purple.
Spider veins and varicose veins are both forms of venous insufficiency (when there is a problem with how blood flows from your veins to your heart), yet the conditions have different symptoms. Spider veins can appear before varicose veins, acting as an early warning sign of venous insufficiency.
Varicose veins are twisted purple veins that can become larger and more swollen over time and are usually found on the legs and feet.
If you have both spider veins and varicose veins, you may need to have the varicose veins treated first. Once these have disappeared, we can then treat your spider veins.
Genetics: a history of telangiectasia in your family can play a role in your likelihood of developing spider veins too.
Increased estrogen hormones: for example, if pregnant or on the contraceptive pill because hormonal changes can cause vein walls to thin. Pregnant women have a higher volume of blood and the extra weight put on the legs increases pressure on the blood vessels. Spider veins may disappear once hormone levels return to normal post-pregnancy.
Sunlight: exposure to UV rays can break down collagen in our skin more quickly and lead to broken blood vessels.
Age: thread veins tend to increase in frequency as we get older because the valves in our veins weaken over time.
● Itching
● Aching or burning (with leg spider veins)
Many people view spider vein removal treatment as a cosmetic procedure rather than a medical one. However, it is vital to ensure that there are no underlying vein problems – especially if these dilated blood vessels appear on your legs.
At Vein MD, we take a holistic approach in assessing your condition, identifying your concerns, and providing the ideal treatment plan with the highest standards of technology and clinical care. You will receive a detailed consultation by a vascular surgeon (which is free of charge), which may include an ultrasound scan to check for venous insufficiency venous insufficiency (when there is a problem with how blood flows from your veins to your heart).
Please don’t hesitate to ask about anything you’re unsure of: we want you to always feel completely comfortable and at ease, knowing that you are in expert medical hands.
At Vein MD, superficial spider veins can be removed safely and effectively – with minimal downtime. State-of-the-art laser treatment is usually preferable for treating smaller telangiectasias on the face and legs while sclerotherapy (vein injections) is used for large areas of thread veins on the legs.
Sometimes, the two procedures are combined to achieve the best possible cosmetic results: sclerotherapy to treat feeder veins (small veins below the surface of the skin causing the spider veins) and laser treatment to clear the surrounding spider veins. We will take you through all the details of the procedures – and explain our recommendation, the recovery, potential outcomes, and cost in full at your initial consultation.
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