Are your legs summer-ready? Do you have dark purple spider veins or bulging varicose veins that bother you or prevent you from showing off your legs? When you look at your legs, do your veins look like a road map? You are not alone. Over half a million people in 2016 alone were bothered about the appearance of the veins, and they did something about it. So where do you start? What is the difference between spider veins and varicose veins? What causes spider veins and varicose veins? Finally, what can you do about it?
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are large, bulging, blue, red or flesh-colored veins that often look like cords and appear to be twisting under the skin and are bulging. Unlike spider veins, varicose veins can be swollen and elevated above the skin surface making them more noticeable. Also, unlike spider veins, varicose veins typically affect the lower half of the body including buttocks, thighs, calves, or inside the legs.
Spider Veins
Spider veins are medically referred to telangiectasia. Similar to varicose veins but smaller, spider veins are typically superficial, a clustered web or tree, or are jagged in appearance and typically are red, blue, or purple in color. Spider veins typically are flush with the skin and do not have a have a raised appearance. Spider veins can be found anywhere on the body; however, common areas include legs and face.
Causes
The heart exerts force and pumps blood through the body via the arteries to deliver oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to all the body tissues. The blood then returns to the heart via a complex network of veins that rely on valves and muscle contraction to squeeze the blood back towards the heart. Varicose veins are caused by weak or damaged valves in the veins resulting in the backing up of blood in that area. When the blood backs up, it causes the corresponding vein to enlarge and thus become varicose.
Spider veins can be caused by the backing up of blood; however, more common causes include vascular hormonal changes, sun exposure, and injuries. Overall the majority of studies available on varicose and spider veins link to the following causes: increasing age, hereditary factors, hormonal changes, pregnancy, obesity, lack of physical activity, and sun exposure.
Prevention
Prevention is centered around moving the flow of blood back to the heart more efficiently and avoiding activities that cause your veins to constrict. Regular exercise and movement are key to avoiding spider and varicose veins: muscle contraction will help increase the blood flow back to your heart. Proper sun block and limiting exposure will help to reduce spider veins related to sun damage. Avoiding potential vasoconstrictors like smoking is crucial. Support stockings are also a great way to increase the efficiency of blood flow returning to the heart and are amazingly effective for those who are standing frequently throughout the day or for those prone to varicose and spider veins.
Treatment
Two of the more popular minimally invasive spider and varicose vein treatments that can be performed at your board-certified plastic surgeon’s or dermatologist’s office include sclerotherapy and laser therapy.
Spider vein treatment – Sclerotherapy involves your plastic surgeon injecting a solution directly into the vein that causes the vein to collapse and eventually fade away. Laser therapy uses a focused beam of light that heats and damages the target veins. Over the course of several weeks, the vein is then reabsorbed by the body and disappears. Depending on the severity, location, color, and size of the veins to be treated, sometimes multiple sessions of sclerotherapy or laser therapy are needed to achieve desired results. This treatment is only for small, 1-2 mm vessels in most cases.
Varicose Vein Treatment – This may require a more aggressive endovascular removal via a laser or even surgery done in an outpatient setting. This is often done by, or with, a board-certified vascular surgeon with expertise in the management of the large and more troublesome varicose veins. They must be properly treated or the recurrence rate can be high.
Spider and varicose vein removal is highly individualized and requires a true spider vein or varicose vein expert as discussed above.
For your safety, when deciding to have a spider and varicose vein removal picking the right experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, dermatologist or vascular surgeon to perform the procedure is crucial. Your specific needs and desired results will determine which procedure is right for you. At your consultation, your board-certified surgeon will discuss which procedure will be most beneficial to achieve your desired results.
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