Have you started to notice tiny blue or red lines underneath the skin on your legs, nose or face? Or maybe you’ve had them for a while and are feeling self-conscious about the way they look. You’re not alone. Telangiectasias, typically called spider veins, are very common and usually easy to treat.
While spider veins can change your skin’s appearance, they usually don’t cause any symptoms and are almost always painless. Typically, treatment is only needed if you don’t like how they look and you’d like to get rid of them. There are also lifestyle changes that may prevent new spider veins from forming.
Read on to learn more about spider veins and what causes them, at-home treatment options that may help you improve their appearance, and when you should see a vascular and vein specialist.
Spider veins can look like a spider web
Spider veins are groups of tiny red or blue blood vessels that look like a spider web or branches of a tree. They’re much smaller and fainter, and don’t bulge out like varicose veins. Spider veins most often appear on your legs, but you can also get them on other parts of your body like your face and nose.
Spider veins are caused by tiny broken blood vessels
Spider veins aren’t actually veins, but tiny blood vessels that branch off of larger veins and arteries (these blood vessels can be capillaries, venules and arterioles). When these blood vessels under your skin weaken and expand, it can cause them to break and a spider vein to form. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including:
- Connective tissue disease
- Genetic syndromes
- Hormonal changes
- Injury or trauma
- Sun exposure
You may be at a higher risk for spider veins if you:
- Are pregnant
- Are overweight
- Have a family history of spider veins or varicose veins
- Sit too much or don’t get a lot of movement throughout the day
- Smoke
- Use hormonal birth control or hormone therapy
Home treatments to reduce the appearance of spider veins and keep new ones from forming
It may be possible to minimize the appearance of spider veins with self-care and other home treatments. Even better, lifestyle factors may stop new spider veins from forming.
- Eating a diet that supports vein health – A heart-healthy diet has so many health benefits, but it can also lower your blood pressure and improve blood flow throughout your body.
- Elevating your legs – Start with twice a day for 30 minutes each time, and make sure your legs are above your heart.
- Exercising – Daily movement can help increase blood flow to your legs and may stop new spider veins from forming.
- Maintain a healthy weight – Extra weight can put additional pressure on your blood vessel walls and increase your risk for spider veins.
- Wearing compression socks – These types of socks improve blood flow to your legs and help minimize the appearance of spider veins.
- Using the right skin care products – Anti-inflammatory skin care products or witch hazel can help reduce redness and inflammation.
If at-home treatments aren’t working, schedule a vein screening to learn more about your treatment options.
Medical treatment options to get rid of spider veins
Spider veins can be treated with minimally invasive procedures done at a doctor’s office, which means less recovery time before you get back to looking and feeling your best. Because spider vein treatment is considered cosmetic, it’s not usually covered by insurance, but check with your provider to make sure.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is used to treat spider veins and small varicose veins. During sclerotherapy, your doctor will inject a chemical into the vein that causes it to harden, scar and close so it no longer fills with blood. The vein will shrivel and disappear in a few weeks. Some people may need multiple injections to completely close the vein. Sclerotherapy can’t be performed at the same time as other procedures, but it doesn’t require anesthesia and can be done in the doctor’s office.
Laser treatment
Laser treatment, also called thermal ablation, can be an effective treatment for spider veins. Your doctor will use a laser to shoot strong bursts of light into the vein that will cause it to close and fade over time. The procedure takes less than an hour, and you can usually return to normal activities the same day. Smaller spider veins may disappear immediately, while larger ones may need multiple treatments to go away completely.
Spider vein surgery (ambulatory phlebectomy, microphlebectomy or stab phlebectomy)
Surgery isn’t often used to treat spider veins. But if you have a more severe case or also have varicose veins, your doctor may recommend spider vein surgery, also known as ambulatory phlebectomy, microphlebectomy or stab phlebectomy. This outpatient procedure removes spider veins through small incisions in the skin. You’ll be able to walk right after surgery and continue your normal daily routine while wearing compression socks.
When to seek care for spider veins
In most cases, you only need treatment if you don’t like how the spider veins look. But it’s still best to let your primary care doctor know about them.
At-home treatments can help minimize the appearance of spider veins, but not get rid of them. If you’re interested in having them removed, make an appointment with one of our vein and vascular doctors, or find a clinic near you. We’ll develop a personalized treatment plan to help you love the skin you’re in.
When to talk to your primary care doctor
It’s a good idea to talk to your primary care doctor about spider veins. While spider veins themselves aren’t dangerous, they can sometimes be an early sign of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a vein condition that affects blood circulation.
It’s also important to see your doctor as soon as possible if you develop any new symptoms related to spider veins. For example, if a spider vein looks red or swollen, or feels warm or tender, or if the skin around a spider vein has a rash, sore or has changed color. These may be symptoms of conditions that need medical treatment.
