Spider veins can be painful, unsightly, and frustrating, but you do have options. Keep reading to learn more about spider veins and sclerotherapy.
What Are Spider Veins?
Spider veins are visible twisted blood vessels that show through the surface of your skin. They are usually found on the legs. They can be red, purple, or blue. Spider veins are thinner than varicose veins (larger bulging blood vessels), but they can still be painful and detract from the appearance of your legs.
Who Gets Spider Veins?
Spider veins are more common in women than in men. They are also more common in people with a family history of spider veins or varicose veins. If your mother or grandmother had spider veins, your chances of getting them significantly increase. Although there are factors that increase your risk for developing spider veins, anyone can get them.
Is Prevention An Option?
If spider veins in your legs are hereditary, there is very little you can do to prevent them, but if you don’t have a family history, you may be able to lower your risk. Even if you have a family history of spider veins, the following preventative tips can help you stay healthier and keep spider veins from becoming worse. Take the following steps to lower your risk of developing spider veins and varicose veins:
- Include cardiovascular exercise like running, jogging, walking, or swimming in your daily routine. Improving your cardiovascular health through exercise that gets your heart rate up can lower your risk of developing spider veins.
- Stop smoking. Smoking is hard on your whole body and it takes a toll on your cardiovascular system, which in turn can lead to spider veins.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity significantly increases your risk for a myriad of health problems—including varicose veins.
What Is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a treatment that can minimize and eliminate spider veins (note: at Behr, we do not treat varicose veins). A very tiny needle is used to carefully inject a special solution into the problematic veins. This causes the vein to collapse and disappear over the next few weeks. Most patients can resume normal activities shortly after the treatment and walking around is usually encouraged. To learn more about this treatment, schedule a consultation with Dr. Behr.
