A Simple Guide to Getting Rid of Spider Veins

If you’re bothered by spider veins on your legs or other areas of your body, it’s not a lost cause. Here’s a simple guide to getting rid of spider veins.

Spider veins are one of the most common cosmetic and vascular issues among adults. One in five Americans suffer from these unsightly, bluish, raised veins. Most of them are found on the lower body and are usually painless.

However, some people experience more serious issues such as heaviness in the legs or muscle cramps. These veins can even exist on the face, and their web-like appearance is a source of embarrassment for both men and women.

Is it any wonder that people wish they could find a way of getting rid of spider veins easily and painlessly?

Keep reading for the ultimate guide on how to eliminate these ugly veins from your body

What Are Spider Veins?

You may have heard that spider veins and varicose veins are the same thing. There’s a difference, however.

Varicose veins occur when the veins located right under the skin become swollen. They’ll bulge outward, and will usually show up along the inner legs, back of the thighs, and back of the calves.

Spider veins are smaller with “webs” that fan out over larger areas. They won’t protrude like varicose veins and don’t normally hurt, but they still look unattractive.

They sometimes appear on the face and hands, which makes them tough to conceal. While varicose and spider veins are usually benign, they can sometimes indicate a more serious problem. A vein disease called chronic venous insufficiency can be the culprit.

Common Causes

If you know what’s causing your spider veins, you might be able to prevent more from showing up. So let’s take a look at the common causes.

A spider vein will show up when the pressure in the veins increases. People that are more prone to having this occur are those who stand for long periods of time, or office workers who are sedentary and don’t move around a lot.

Some people are more genetically predisposed to developing them as they age. Changes in women’s hormones could play a part, as well as hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen and progesterone fluctuations can impact the appearance of spider veins.

They’re more common in women but especially common in pregnant women and those taking oral contraceptives or hormone medications.

How to Prevent Spider Veins: Avoid Them in the First Place

Changing your lifestyle to support your skin health might seem like an inconvenience, but it could be worth it. If you’re someone who stands or sits a lot for your career, it could require some commitment and mindfulness to change your habits.

Reducing your risk with these lifestyle adjustments could really help.

Relieve Pressure on Your Legs

Take breaks! If you stand a lot, you might need to sit down and do floor stretches and yoga moves at regular intervals.

Also, don’t stand in one place for too long. Move around and take some stairs, squat…anything that shifts your body weight and gets you moving. Do this every thirty minutes.

If you’re sedentary all day, which is not good for your overall health, you’ll need to motivate yourself to get up and move. Taking stairs, going to walks, jumping jacks…the possibilities are endless. Get moving and see how much better you feel while also reducing your risk for spider veins.

Compression Stockings

You might have seen your grandma wear these, but they really work. And there are new styles that don’t look as awful. There are support pantyhose, which provide a small amount of pressure throughout the entire leg rather than one area.

Over-the-counter gradient stockings provide more pressure and are only found in pharmacies and medical supply stores. The next level of compression stockings are prescription strength, and they are powerful. This is why you need to be fitted by a professional and then get a written prescription.

Elevate Your Feet

Whenever you can, elevate your feet. It’s a great way to relieve pressure and allow your legs to take a break from gravity. It will encourage circulation, lymphatic drainage, and help your spine decompress.

You can prop your feet up whenever you’re able to relax, at home, or elsewhere. Put a pillow under your legs while sleeping to encourage more blood flow, too.

If you have spider veins in your hands or face, keep those elevated for at least 15 minutes a day, and when sleeping, use two pillows or a special elevation pillow.

Exercise!

It’s good for every area of your life. It can’t be avoided–exercise is the best prescription. It improves circulation, which is a major issue with spider veins, and strengthens the veins while improving the appearance of your skin.

Don’t just do cardio, though. You need to strength train. You don’t have to join a gym to do that, however. Strength training is a great way to bolster your veins and keep them strong, too.

Of course, nutrition plays a role in all skin health and its issues. If you’re not supplying your body with proper nutrients, how can it look its best? If your diet is great but you still have skin issues, you might need to consider supplementation.

Getting Rid of Spider Veins: How?

You might have done some research for home treatments or supplements that are supposed to help get rid of spider veins. And while some of those things might help a little, by the time you can see spider veins and they’re impacting your skin’s appearance, you’ll need more effective treatments to help.

The top two treatments for spider vein treatment are sclerotherapy which is still the gold standard and lasers. Some patients require a combination of these two procedures.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is considered the gold standard treatment for spider veins because it generally resolves the veins. It involves injecting a sclerosant solution into the unsightly veins, causing them to “shut down” and become less visible. This sounds weird but is safe.

Sometimes, several treatments of injections are required. It’s not overly painful, however, even for people who hate needles. If you have a genetic predisposition and have spider veins showing up at an early age, this might be the best option for you.

It’s estimated that there’s a 90% chance that your spider veins will improve after sclerotherapy, and results will last for about two years. After that time, if you haven’t changed your lifestyle or your genetic predisposition is strong, you could have some spider veins return. You’ll need maintenance treatments.

Laser Therapy

Laser treatment is also effective but can be more costly and not as dependable with results. The same level of discomfort is usually experienced as sclerotherapy. However, injections have some limitations such as if a spider vein is too small to inject or if you are allergic to the solution, then lasers are a great option.

Combination: Injections and Laser

Because both of these treatments have their benefits and drawbacks, practitioners will often use a combination of both. The laser can get rid of the smaller veins, while the injection can help with the larger veins.

Cosmetic medicine is always improving, with new treatments and technologies on the horizon. Spider veins will be a thing of the past within the next decade or so.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Most side effects of sclerotherapy are minimal, but you could experience a few reactions during and after the treatment. There could be stinging, burning, or cramping at the site of injection, with skin discoloration or bruising.

There could be new vessel growth at the site, along with hives or a small sore. If you’re allergic to detergent solutions, you could have an allergic reaction, and rarely blood clots can occur.

Laser can have similar side effects, but again they aren’t usually serious. That’s why it’s so important to undergo treatment with a licensed practitioner with years of experience.

Ready to Treat Your Spider Veins?

As you’ve read, treating spider veins isn’t a complicated or painful process. It just takes finding the right practitioner to do a great job, so you don’t have to worry about covering up your skin anymore.

If you’re thinking about getting rid of spider veins but aren’t sure where to go, check out our services! We offer a wide range of anti-aging treatments including sclerotherapy and lasers, and our practitioners have 30 years of combined experience.