Myths and Facts about Spider Veins

Have you ever noticed small spider veins on your legs or face? They are often in a spider web pattern and can be blue, red, or purple. Knowing the causes may help you make lifestyle changes or proceed with the best treatment option.

What Causes Spider Veins?

There are many factors that can increase your chance of developing spider or varicose veins. They can be a symptom of poor circulation or from varicose veins, and are probably a result of genetics. Other reasons patients in Flower Mound have increased chance of getting spider veins includes:

• Being a woman. Women are twice as likely as men to get spider and varicose veins.
• Being on your feet all day due to your job. Standing or sitting all day long can be a risk factor.
• Being pregnant. Extra hormones and an increased pressure against veins are both reasons why pregnant women have an increased chance of vein disorders.
• Taking birth control. Any hormonal changes, including taking birth control, can contribute to spider veins forming.
• Being obese. There is extra weight on your veins, plus a lack of exercise can lead to poor circulation.

There are many myths about other causes of spider veins, including wearing high heels and crossing your legs can cause these vein disorders. It is also misunderstood that people can develop and get treatment for spider veins at any point in their life, even though increasing age does increase your risk slightly.

Sclerotherapy to Get Rid of Spider Veins

Dr. Handley has extensive experience performing sclerotherapy, which gets rid of about 80% of treated veins. It is a simple procedure done at North Texas Vein and Vascular without anesthesia. Dr. Handley will inject a pharmaceutical solution into the abnormal vein, which will destroy it by sealing it off. Spider veins tend to disappear after sclerotherapy quickly, within 6 weeks, but the same vein may need to be treated more than once. You may also need other treatments for both varicose and spider veins, like endovenous laser treatment (EVLT).

Request an appointment at North Texas Vein and Vascular in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.