We spend so much of our lives trying to make our legs look just right. We take the stairs when we can and do our best never to skip leg day so that we have those trim and toned legs we’ve always dreamed about.
So there’s nothing more frustrating than the appearance of a cluster of blue lines on our beautifully toned legs. This group of veins is called spider veins, and they appear on our legs as we grow older.
While we don’t know exactly what causes spider veins, there are a few factors that contribute more than others. Some of these factors include:
- Inactivity
- Obesity
- Sun exposure
- Hormone changes
Each of these causes affects our skin and the way our body spreads the blood through our bodies, which can cause spider veins to appear on our legs, abdomen or sometimes our face.
The good news about spider veins is that they aren’t as much of a health concern as varicose veins, but they are annoying just the same. Thankfully, there are a number of ways the Advanced Vein Center can treat your annoying spider veins.
Treatment Options
If you’re beginning to see the signs of spider veins, there are a few things you can do at home to prevent them from happening or getting worse. The first is to remain in motion. One of the leading causes of spider veins is how the body’s blood pressure is affected by gravity. To keep the blood flowing properly, it’s important to remain moving as much as possible.
When you are resting, it’s important to keep your legs elevated. Keeping your legs above your head eases the pressure it takes to pump blood all the way to your legs and back up to your heart again.
The last thing you can do at home is to wear compression stockings. These stockings put pressure on the legs and prevent spider veins from popping out of the skin.
If you do need more advanced treatment, there are options for that too.
By far, the most popular form of spider vein treatment is Sclerotherapy. This minimally-invasive treatment involves closing the vein from within, taking out the flow of blood to it. This causes the vein to die and eventually disappear. This technique is used in the spider veins themselves but can also apply to accompany veins that have the chance to create further spider veins in the future.
There are two variations to this procedure. The first is using a specialized light which illuminates the veins located just below the skin’s surface. The second is Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy (UGFS), which uses ultrasound technology to locate veins deep within the tissue without the use of surgery.
The treated veins eventually become absorbed into the body, and the body will automatically reroute the blood flow into nearby, healthy veins.
This procedure usually can be done within an hours time and features little-to-no downtime. The pain felt during this procedure can be lessened by the use of local anesthesia on the injection site.
For more information on spider veins, and how the Advanced Vein Center can help treat your annoying spider vein problem, call and schedule a consultation today!