Spider Vein Questions

In San Diego, California

What are spider veins?

Spider veins are capillaries near the surface of the skin that are too close, too dark, and too large to be concealed by your skin tissue. They collect blood that has delivered its cargo of nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and transport it to larger feeder veins deeper in your tissue.

What causes spider veins?

Spider veins are the result of clogging or backup in the veins. Veins typically have a valve system that keeps blood flow unidirectional, but with age this valve system can weaken, allowing backup or even backflow, which causes the tiny veins to expand and become visible.

What causes the valve system to weaken?

There are many causes. One is simply that some people are genetically predisposed to valve system failure because they have weaker systems than others. Women tend to experience the condition more than men, which may be related to both hormonal factors and the increased likelihood of spider veins during pregnancy.

Are spider veins related to varicose veins?

Yes. Varicose veins and spider veins are very similar. The main difference is that varicose veins are larger, deeper, and mostly found on the legs, whereas spider veins are equally common in the legs and the face.

Are spider veins dangerous?

Varicose veins can be painful, and are often associated with numbness in the legs, but spider veins are not generally painful and have no significant health consequences. The main reason to treat spider veins is cosmetic.

How are spider veins treated?

The traditional standard of treatment for varicose and spider veins is sclerotherapy, in which a compound is injected into the vein that causes the vein to collapse. The vein dries up and is shed along with skin cells during the natural process of skin renewal. Varicose veins can also be treated with a number of photorejuvenation therapies, including IPL and Sciton BBL.

Will spider veins return?

Spider veins can return, since their incidence is related to the aging process, but because spider veins generate more spider veins, having them treated leads to an exponential reduction of their occurrence.

If you have more questions about spider veins and their treatment, contact our spider veins specialist at Moradi M.D. today for a spider veins consultation.