American Academy of Dermatology
Spider Vein, Varicose Vein Therapy
Spider veins are dilated small blood vessels that have a red or bluish color. They appear mostly on the legs, occasionally on the face or elsewhere, and may often be unwanted. Larger dilated blood vessels called varicose veins may be raised above the skin surface. They may occur along with spider veins.
What Causes These Blood Vessels to Become Visible?
The cause of spider veins is not known. In many cases they seem to run in families. Identical twins can be affected in the same area of the body and to the same extent. The condition can very occasionally occur as part of an internal disease.
Spider veins can appear on both men and women the hormones of estrogen and progesterone may play a role in their development. Puberty, birth control pills, pregnancy or hormone replacement therapy often seem to bring them out. They may also appear after an injury or as a result of wearing tight girdles or hosiery held up with tight rubber bands. Spider veins may also occur with large varicose veins.
Spider veins on the nose or cheeks of fair skinned persons may be related to sun exposure.
Can Spider Veins Be Prevented?
Spider veins can't always be prevented. Wearing support hose may prevent some unwanted blood vessels from developing. Keeping one's weight at a normal level and exercising regularly may also be helpful. Sun protection is important to limit the number of unwanted vessels on the face.
How Are Unwanted Blood Vessels on the Legs Treated?
A procedure called sclerotherapy is used to treat unwanted blood vessels. One of several kinds of solutions called sclerosing solution is injected with a very fine needle directly into the blood vessel. This procedure has been used since 1930 and before that for longer veins. The solution irritated the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together and the blood to clot.
Over a period of weeks, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades, eventually becoming barely noticeable or invisible.
A single blood vessel may have to be injected more than once, some weeks apart, depending on its size. In any one treatment session a number of vessels can be injected.
How Successful is Sclerotherapy?
After several treatments, most patients can expect a 50 to 90 percent improvement. Scelerotherapy can be used on all skin types. Side effects of sclerotherapy is stinging or pain at the sites of injection, swelling of the ankles or feet or muscle cramps which almost always occur when the injection takes place in the ankle areas. These usually go away within 10 to 15 minutes after injection. Red, raised areas at the sites of injection which should disappear within a day or so. Bruises at the site where the needles went into the skin which disappears in a few weeks and are probably related to the thinness of blood vessel walls. Other treatment methods new lasers may hold promise for treating blood vessels, but currently vessels in the legs do not respond uniformly to laser treatment.
How are Spider Veins on the Face Treated?
There are several ways to treat spider veins on the face. Lasers have been used successfully, alone or in the combination with electric needle therapy.
What Do I Do After Treatments?
Physicians may differ in their after treatment instructions to patients. Depending on certain factors, such as size of the blood vessels injected, patients may be instructed to put their legs up for an hour or then and then walk. Others are asked to walk immediately. All patients are instructed to walk a good deal in the days following to procedure so that blood will be pushed through other vessels.
Some Physicians bandage the injected areas and instruct patients to "compress" the treated vessels by wearing support hose. This may help seal the treated vessels, keep the blood from collecting under the skin and reduce the number of treatments necessary, and the possibility of recurrence. Other put tape dressings on the areas and do not use compression unless the veins are large or have other characteristics.
Between treatments, many physicians recommend the use of compression of support hose. this may particularly recommend for people who spend a lot of time on their feet.
Spider veins are dilated small blood vessels that have a red or bluish color. They appear mostly on the legs, occasionally on the face or elsewhere, and may often be unwanted. Larger dilated blood vessels called varicose veins may be raised above the skin surface. They may occur along with spider veins.
What Causes These Blood Vessels to Become Visible?
The cause of spider veins is not known. In many cases they seem to run in families. Identical twins can be affected in the same area of the body and to the same extent. The condition can very occasionally occur as part of an internal disease.
Spider veins can appear on both men and women the hormones of estrogen and progesterone may play a role in their development. Puberty, birth control pills, pregnancy or hormone replacement therapy often seem to bring them out. They may also appear after an injury or as a result of wearing tight girdles or hosiery held up with tight rubber bands. Spider veins may also occur with large varicose veins.
Spider veins on the nose or cheeks of fair skinned persons may be related to sun exposure.
Can Spider Veins Be Prevented?
Spider veins can't always be prevented. Wearing support hose may prevent some unwanted blood vessels from developing. Keeping one's weight at a normal level and exercising regularly may also be helpful. Sun protection is important to limit the number of unwanted vessels on the face.
How Are Unwanted Blood Vessels on the Legs Treated?
A procedure called sclerotherapy is used to treat unwanted blood vessels. One of several kinds of solutions called sclerosing solution is injected with a very fine needle directly into the blood vessel. This procedure has been used since 1930 and before that for longer veins. The solution irritated the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together and the blood to clot.
Over a period of weeks, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades, eventually becoming barely noticeable or invisible.
A single blood vessel may have to be injected more than once, some weeks apart, depending on its size. In any one treatment session a number of vessels can be injected.
How Successful is Sclerotherapy?
After several treatments, most patients can expect a 50 to 90 percent improvement. Scelerotherapy can be used on all skin types. Side effects of sclerotherapy is stinging or pain at the sites of injection, swelling of the ankles or feet or muscle cramps which almost always occur when the injection takes place in the ankle areas. These usually go away within 10 to 15 minutes after injection. Red, raised areas at the sites of injection which should disappear within a day or so. Bruises at the site where the needles went into the skin which disappears in a few weeks and are probably related to the thinness of blood vessel walls. Other treatment methods new lasers may hold promise for treating blood vessels, but currently vessels in the legs do not respond uniformly to laser treatment.
How are Spider Veins on the Face Treated?
There are several ways to treat spider veins on the face. Lasers have been used successfully, alone or in the combination with electric needle therapy.
What Do I Do After Treatments?
Physicians may differ in their after treatment instructions to patients. Depending on certain factors, such as size of the blood vessels injected, patients may be instructed to put their legs up for an hour or then and then walk. Others are asked to walk immediately. All patients are instructed to walk a good deal in the days following to procedure so that blood will be pushed through other vessels.
Some Physicians bandage the injected areas and instruct patients to "compress" the treated vessels by wearing support hose. This may help seal the treated vessels, keep the blood from collecting under the skin and reduce the number of treatments necessary, and the possibility of recurrence. Other put tape dressings on the areas and do not use compression unless the veins are large or have other characteristics.
Between treatments, many physicians recommend the use of compression of support hose. this may particularly recommend for people who spend a lot of time on their feet.
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