Spider veins: what are they, why do they appear, and can they go away naturally?
Spider veins are dense clusters of blood vessels on the skin’s surface, just between the dermis and epidermis. The presence of broken capillaries on legs usually appears as thin, venous pathways that look like spider webs or the thin legs of spiders. They’re usually visible on the legs, but they can also appear on the face, feet, and other parts of the body. Spider veins are usually reddish, bluish, or purple, and their appearance can lead to self-consciousness.
Spider veins are usually indicative of underlying chronic venous insufficiency, a medical condition caused by the collapse of vein valves. Healthy veins contain valves that act as one-way doors, ensuring smooth one-way blood circulation to the heart. They allow blood to flow towards the heart but prevent it from flowing backward. The collapse of vein valves leads to backward blood circulation and the accumulation of blood in leg veins, leading to the development of spider veins and varicose veins.
When patients notice spider veins, they often avoid treatments because of the assumption that spider veins go away naturally. That assumption is completely false; spider veins don’t go away naturally. In fact, the longer you wait, the worse the condition becomes — venous insufficiency is a chronic condition. If left untreated, you may notice new spider veins and the formation of bulging varicose veins, causing even more self-consciousness and anxiety.
The Long Island Vein Center is led by highly-skilled, board-certified vein doctors who diagnose and treat the root cause of spider veins. Our vein doctors examine your leg veins, review your medical history, and administer ultrasound scans to visualize the blood flow in leg veins, thus identifying the root cause of spider veins. After identifying the root cause of spider veins, we curate personalized minimally invasive vein treatment plans to ensure long-lasting results.
If you have spider veins, varicose veins, or other vein problems, please schedule an appointment at our vein centers in Long Island.
What are home remedies for spider veins?
There are no home remedies for spider veins. If you go online, you can probably find numerous articles extolling the virtues and benefits of apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, and other such home remedies for spider veins. However, these home remedies aren’t backed by any clinical studies or evidence, so their usefulness is beyond doubtful. The only way to remove spider veins and the veins popping out on your legs is to consult a reliable vein doctor.
While you can’t treat spider veins using home remedies, you can minimize the risk of vein disease and prevent the symptoms from worsening. The following are some lifestyle changes to minimize the risk of spider veins:
- Wear compression stockings because they facilitate blood flow towards the heart
- Engage in cardiovascular exercises that activate your calf muscles, such as running, swimming, cycling, and yoga. These exercises accelerate blood circulation towards the heart.
- Elevate your legs while sitting down to facilitate smooth blood flow towards the heart.
- If you have a desk job, take frequent breaks to stretch your legs and walk around.
The aforementioned lifestyle changes will promote blood circulation and push some of the accumulated blood from your leg veins. They won’t treat vein disease or remove the visible spider veins, but they will alleviate some of the worst symptoms, such as leg heaviness, restless leg syndrome, frequent leg cramps, and leg pain. If you don’t have spider veins already, these lifestyle changes will also reduce the risk of vein disease.
How is underlying vein disease diagnosed?
When you consult our vein doctors, they perform a thorough assessment of your legs and medical history. Our vein doctors examine your leg veins, review your medical history, discuss your symptoms, and administer ultrasound scans. Duplex ultrasound is the best diagnostic technique for vein disease — the vein doctor uses advanced ultrasound tools to visualize the direction of blood flow in leg veins, thus revealing the presence or absence of vein disease.
What are the best spider vein treatments?
The Long Island Vein Center provides the safest, cutting-edge spider vein treatments. We provide minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatments that address the root cause of your vein problems, thus ensuring long-lasting results. Furthermore, minimally invasive procedures conclude within an hour with no downtime, allowing you to resume your daily activities and work immediately. Below, we provide an overview of the best spider vein treatments in Long Island.
Endovenous Ablation
Endovenous ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for chronic venous insufficiency, the root cause of spider veins. The vein doctor inserts a catheter into the diseased vein to channel radiofrequency waves and destroy its walls, turning it into hardened scar tissues eventually absorbed by the body. The accumulated blood flows into healthier veins.
VenaSeal
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive treatment for vein disease. The vein doctor injects a medical-grade vein glue into the diseased saphenous vein to seal its walls shut, turning it into hardened scar tissues eventually metabolized by the body. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins, restoring optimal blood circulation.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is the best spider vein removal technique available. The vein doctor injects a sclerosant medicine into the spider veins to make them shrink and turn into scar tissues eventually metabolized by the body. The spider veins soon fade away from the skin’s surface, restoring your leg’s health and beauty.
If you have spider veins or varicose veins, please contact our vein doctors in Long Island to explore your minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatment options.