Spider veins are small, damaged veins on the surface of the legs or face and are a form of a medical condition called venous insufficiency. They can be purple, blue, or red and may look like fine lines, branches, or webs. Although they are usually not harmful or painful, they cause discomfort, and hence some people choose spider vein treatment for cosmetic reasons.
What is Spider vein treatment?
Some people may choose to remove spider veins due to various reasons. So for that, there are plenty of safe, effective, and relatively painless methods for spider veins reduction. These are the few available treatments:
- Compression stockings or socks: When worn, compression stockings/socks pressure the veins in the lower legs, which boosts blood flow and helps prevent spider or varicose veins from occurring. Compression stockings help relieve swelling and reduce the chances of blood clots in the legs.
- Laser Treatment: Spider veins smaller than 3 mm and closer to the skin’s surface can be treated by laser treatment.
- Endovenous Laser Therapy: A laser fiber is inserted into the affected vein by making an incision. The laser puts heat into the vein causing it to collapse, which may take months or a year to disappear. This is a new procedure that uses local anesthesia for spider vein removal.
- Sclerotherapy and Closure system: In sclerotherapy, an irritant is injected directly into an affected vein, causing its walls to stick together, preventing blood from flowing into the area. It can reduce swelling and shrink the vein. Over time, the vein fades or disappears. It may require several treatments to get the desired results.
Do’s
- Be Active: Walking, swimming, cycling, etc., maintain blood flow in your legs and prevent blood pooling and pressure.
- Listen to your body: Look out for the symptoms like night cramps, fatigue, leg swelling, or itching. Contact a dermatologist if they persist.
- Wear compression stocking: Well-fitted compression stockings help divide the pressure equally throughout the legs and improve blood flow.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Having a healthy weight will prevent extra pressure on the legs that causes spider veins.
Don’ts
- Expose legs to excessive heat: Heat generated from long hot baths and hot tubs will increase swelling and blood pooling.
- Sit or stand for long: Avoid being in one position for long; it puts pressure on veins. Maintain circulation at a desk or when traveling in a car or plane by changing positions every 30 minutes.
- Don’t assume all treatments would work: Speak to the dermatologists; they are the experts who know the best treatment for you according to the severity of your case.
- Don’t wear restrictive clothing: Wearing clothing around specific body parts such as legs, groin, and waist can restrict circulation and cause spider and varicose veins.