Spider veins are a common issue that affect up to 50 percent of women and 40 percent of men in their lifetime. While these vein issues do not cause or pose any serious health issues, they can be a source of discomfort leading the person to feel self-conscious about their appearance. However, treatments are available to take care of these venous problems, both medically and cosmetically. Understanding what spider veins are, how they affect the body and the multiple treatment options available can help people with this issue be more informed when it comes to deciding if they want to treat them or not. Let’s look at how spider veins form and the treatment options available to better understand this health issue.
Who are affected by spider veins?
Millions of people are affected by spider veins as they get older. Spider veins tend to appear more in women than in men and may increase as they age. Multiple factors contribute to the development of spider veins such as obesity, genetics, hormonal changes, prolonged sitting or standing and sun exposure. Pregnancy is also a significant factor due to the pressure of the uterus on venous flow. Certain occupations also may lead to the development of spider veins. Jobs where you are standing for long periods like cashiers, teaching, nursing, warehouse or factory work and more can lead to spider vein development. To make it simple, increased pressure makes the vein walls stretch, leading them to become transparent and thin. When these spider veins show up you are literally viewing the blood through the thin wall of the vein. The color reflected to you may be red, blue or even purple.
Treatment options
A few different treatment options are available to help with spider veins. Each treatment is different, yet effective, to treat these venous issues. Here are a few of the treatment options available for you to consider.
Laser therapy
Laser therapy is a common option for treating spider vein issues. This treatment is most used on facial spider veins. The treatment uses focused light energy to target and heat blood vessels causing them to collapse and slowly disappear over time. Laser therapy treatments for spider veins is a non-invasive treatment meaning it does not involve any injections or incisions to the skin. This often makes this treatment more appealing to patients. Laser therapy is performed in a doctor’s office and may require multiple visits to get the best results. While going through laser therapy treatments you may experience some minor discomfort, but it is often easily tolerated by most individuals. Side effects of laser therapy include redness to the area, slight bruising or swelling but all these effects go away within a week of treatment.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is one of the most common forms of treatment for spider vein issues. This treatment is minimally invasive and involves injecting a solution into the affected vein. The solution causes the vein to collapse and reabsorb into the body after a period. The solution the doctor injects will irritate the blood vessel, making it close. Sclerotherapy is always performed in a doctor’s office and doesn’t require any drugs or anesthesia. The procedure may treat multiple spider veins during one treatment and most patients often experience improvement after one to three treatment procedures. The side effects of this treatment are minimal. Slight swelling and bruising to the treated area is expected, and minimal redness may occur after treatment. These side effects commonly resolve within a few days or up to a week or two after the procedure depending on the intensity of the treatment.
Spider veins are often a cosmetic issue for most people. However, they can be uncomfortable for some individuals. Knowing what spider veins are, recognizing them and understanding there are treatments available can help you better deal with the issue. The various treatments for spider veins give you options to take care of them if you like depending on your own personal well-being. Always speak with your personal physician about what choice of treatment is best for you when deciding. The treatments available for spider veins will not only make your skin look better but can help improve your overall comfort and help build back confidence.
