Spider veins are more common in women than in men, and they can occur at any age. Laser treatments have been shown to improve the appearance of spider veins on the face and legs. Read on to learn more about spider veins and treatment options in Houston and Katy, Texas.
How To Treat Spider Veins on the Face and Legs
Spider veins are small red or blue clusters of dilated blood vessels, and although they may look ugly, they’re not a sign of any serious medical condition. Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of them including laser therapy.
What are Spider and Varicose Veins?
The presence of spider veins is an indication of venous insufficiency. Although spider veins can be unsightly, they pose no threat or pain and are not usually associated with other symptoms.
Veins carry blood back to the heart, where it is cleaned and returned to the lungs. Venous insufficiency is a problem in this return. It occurs when valves in the veins do not close tightly enough, and blood leaks backward. Venous insufficiency causes pooling of blood, which may lead to skin changes and spider or varicose veins.
Varicose veins are different than spider veins, often in severity and symptoms. These may include:
- pain
- itchy skin
- bleeding
- ankle and leg swelling
- legs that feel heavy or achy
Where Do Spider Veins Occur?
Spider veins are typically found on the face and legs. Often, they resemble spider webs because of their size and shape. People who sit or stand for long periods are more likely to develop spider veins on their legs.
Causes & Risks
Damaged or weak valves cause spider veins. A vein returns blood from the rest of the body to your heart. While an artery transports blood from your heart to the rest of your tissues, thereby recirculating the blood. Veins in your legs must work against gravity to return blood to your heart.
Contractions of the muscles in your lower legs serve as pumps, and elastic walls of the veins expedite the return of blood to your heart. As blood flows toward your heart, tiny valves in your veins open and close to prevent blood from flowing backward. If these valves are damaged or weak, blood can pool in the vein, stretching or twisting it.
You are more likely to develop spider veins or varicose veins if you have the following factors:
- Age: Varicose veins are more likely to develop as we age. Vein valves that regulate blood flow wear out with time. Over time, valve wear can allow blood to return to your veins, where it collects rather than flowing to your heart.
- Sex: Women are more likely to suffer from this condition. A woman’s hormones during pregnancy or menopause might play a role, as female hormones are known to relax vein walls. Treatments involving hormones, such as birth control pills, may increase your risk of varicose veins.
- Pregnancy: Blood volume increases during pregnancy. In addition to supporting the growing fetus, this process can magnify your legs’ veins, an unfortunate side effect. Pregnancy hormones may also play a role.
- Genealogy: If you have other family members with varicose veins, you are more likely to develop them as well.
- Obesity: Carrying excess weight increases the pressure in the veins.
- Long periods of standing or sitting: If you remain in the same position for an extended period, your blood flow will be diminished.
Spider Veins on the Face: What Causes Them?
When the blood vessels in your face are dilated, spider veins can develop. A lack of circulation is responsible for this, as is damaged, aging skin. Even though people can develop broken blood vessels on the face at any age, some individuals have a higher risk of developing them.
Several additional factors can cause broken blood vessels on the face. When the weather changes drastically, blood circulation can be disrupted in the face, causing the skin to flush. A spider vein can form when blood vessels burst. Blood vessels can temporarily be dilated by alcohol. Broken blood vessels and redness on the face can result from frequent alcohol consumption.
Treatment Options For Spider Veins
Several treatment options are available for patients with spider veins, including sclerotherapy, laser therapy, and Intense Pulled Light (IPL) Therapy. Alternatively, you can try home remedies.
DIY remedies for spider veins include:
- Applying an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas to spider veins after sun exposure or heat. Burst blood vessels in the face may be reduced by the cold.
- When applied to the skin, apple cider vinegar acts as an astringent, reducing redness.
- Skin redness can be treated with aloe vera gel. Aloe vera may reduce redness, but it tends to dry out skin cells.
- Blood vessel appearance on the face can be reduced with vitamin C supplements. This vitamin promotes healthy blood vessels.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves injecting sclerosing agents into spider veins in order to make them disappear as quickly as possible. A syringe and needle are used to administer sclerotherapy, an injectable solution. Eventually, the blood vessel becomes fibrous and disappears due to destruction by the solution. Skin discoloration is a side effect.
Laser Therapy and IPL
In many instances, home remedies do not bring relief, and medical attention is necessary to improve the appearance of your legs and face. We can effectively treat leg and face veins using laser vein therapy and light-based technologies, such as intense pulsed light (IPL).
In just a few sessions, the vessels collapse and close off with the remaining pigment dissolving gradually over just a few months. Those using this treatment prefer it over sclerotherapy injections.
Laser therapy destroys spider veins by using specific wavelengths of light to target hemoglobin. At Christi MD Medical Spa, our laser therapy uses a wavelength that is efficient for targeting vessels while also providing patented internal skin cooling to protect your skin. During your consultation, we will advise if these are the right procedures for you.
At ChristiMD, Dr. Pramudji and Dr. Underwood and their staff, are highly experienced in the minimally invasive laser treatment of spider veins. Call today to schedule a consultation at the Christi MD Medical Spa for treatment options such as laser or IPL Photofacial.
