Spider Veins on Legs Treatment

Spider veins, also known as telangiectasias, are small dilated blood vessels, located near the surface of the skin. They often measure about 0.5 and 1 millimeter in diameter. These veins can develop on any part of the body, but are commonly seen on the face around the nose, cheeks and chin. In some cases, spider veins on legs is also not uncommon. On leg, they are more commonly seen on the upper thigh, below the knee joint and around the ankles. Before we learn about treatment for spider veins on legs, we will read on the causes of spider veins.

What Causes Spider Veins on Legs

The causes of spider veins are yet not well understood. In some cases, they are caused by absence or weakness of valves in the veins, which causes poor circulation of blood in the veins. Weakness in the vein walls may cause the blood to pool. The walls of the blood vessels tend to become weaker and less competent than normal, which causes volume of blood in the veins to increase causing spider and/or varicose veins. Inflammation of the veins can also cause spider veins. They may be formed due to blood clots or any obstruction to the blood flow in the veins. Congenital abnormalities of the veins may also give rise to these types of veins. Although the formation of spider veins can happen at any age, they normally start at 18 and 35 years of age and they peak between 50 and 60 years of age. Pregnancy is said to be one of the key factor which contributes to the formation of such veins. The circulating hormones tend to weaken walls in the veins contributing to the formation of spider veins. It can also be caused, due to a certain type of lifestyle. People who sit or stand for an extended period of time, in their daily activities are at risk of developing these veins. Exposure to radiation, chemotherapy, trauma to skin, etc. can are known to cause such veins.

How to Get Rid of Spider Veins on Legs

One of the treatment for spider veins on legs is a procedure called sclerotherapy. In this method a solution is injected into the blood vessel with a very fine needle. The solution causes irritation to the lining of the vessel. This leads to lining of the vessel to swell, stick together and the blood clots. Over a period of time, the vessel turns into scar tissue, which fades away and eventually it is barely noticeable. Sometimes a single blood vessel can also be injected more than once, either some weeks or months apart, depending on the size. At the same time, a number of vessels can also be injected with the solution simultaneously.

The other treatment used is the laser treatment. In this laser rays are applied to the skin over the area affected with spider veins. Laser energy causes these veins to coagulate and shrink. This therapy is said to be more effective for small and medium-sized spider veins on face and legs. It is seen, that large veins respond poorly to laser therapy and are better treated with sclerotherapy.

The spider veins on legs treatment does not require sedatives, pain medications or local anesthesia. It may be seen that after the treatment, the veins become darker and more visible. However, after about two to six weeks the veins normally tend to fade away. After each session of treatment, there is about 30 to 40% improvement in spider veins on legs. Normally patients require about three treatments with a gap of 2 to 3 months to see the desired result.

In some cases, combination therapy may also be considered to treat small, medium as well as large spider veins at the same time. Along with these methods, some measures will also have to be taken for spider veins prevention. Exercise and weight control are some of the measures, which will have to be implemented as a part of the spider veins treatment.