Many women suffer from unsightly spider veins on the upper and lower legs. These may be the result of an inherited problem or a weakness in the veins due to pregnancy, hormonal changes, weight gain, prolonged standing or simply, increasing age.

Causes of spider veins in the legs? Force of gravity, body weight pressure, circulating blood from the lowest part of the body ... Compared with the other veins, leg veins have the toughest job of carrying blood back to the heart.

If you would like to wear a skirt again or show off your legs on the beach, there are treatments now available to fade away those vexing veins.

The most effective way of treating spider veins on the legs is a procedure called sclerotherapy which has been used for many years. Sclerotherapy involves injecting the veins with a solution that causes the vessels to turn into scar tissue and then fade away.

The chance for great improvement is about an 80-90%.

Spider veins are small capillaries close to the surface of the skin. They can look like tree branches or spider webs with their short jagged lines.

Spider veins can be found on the legs and face. They can cover either a very small or very large area of skin.

Hormone changes, inherited factors, prolonged standing, and exposure to the sun can also cause spider veins.

Who usually has spider veins?

Many factors increase a person's chances of developing varicose or spider veins. For instance -

• Increasing Age
• Having family members with vein problems or being born with weak vein valves
• Hormonal changes. These occur during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Taking birth control pills and other medicines containing estrogen and progesterone also increase the risk of varicose or spider veins
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy there is a huge increase in the amount of blood in the body. This can cause veins to enlarge. The expanding uterus also puts pressure on the veins. Varicose veins usually improve within 3 months after delivery. A growing number of abnormal veins usually appear with each additional pregnancy
• Obesity, leg injury, prolonged standing, and other things that weaken vein valves
• Sun exposure, which can cause spider veins on the cheeks or nose of a fair-skinned person

Why do spider veins usually appear in the legs? The force of gravity, the pressure of body weight, and the task of carrying blood from the bottom of the body up to the heart make legs the primary location for varicose and spider veins. Compared with other veins in the body, leg veins have the toughest job of carrying blood back to the heart.

They endure the most pressure. This pressure can be stronger than the veins' one-way valves.

How are spider veins treated?

This is the most common treatment for spider veins is schlerotherapy. A special solution is entered into the vein that causes the vein walls to swell, stick together, and seal shut.

This stops the flow of blood and the vein disolves. In a few weeks, the vein should fade. A possiblity exists that the same vein may need to be treated more than once.

This treatment can be very effective. Most patients can expect a 50% to 90% improvement.

Microsclerotherapy uses special solutions and techniques that increase the success rate for removal of spider veins. Sclerotherapy does not require anaesthesia.

Different people often react differently to the treatment. For most, the process is simple and highly effective. Some people take longer to benefit from the changes. They might have some spots for a while in the area, little reddish or brownish patches, occasionally little sores, rarely a little bruising, and with a few extra sensitive people, they might see some fine blood vessels appearing for a short while as the faulty vessels are corrected.

And a few people do feel some discomfort as the treatment is performed. It could be equated with a visit to the dentists. To most of us, dental work has become so sophisticated we hardly feel a thing. For a minority, it remains a challenge.

New technology in laser and intense pulsed light technology can effectively treat spider veins in the legs. These treatments send strong bursts of light onto the vein. This can makes the vein slowly fade and disappear.

Laser and IPL is more appealing to some patients because it does not use needles or incisions. Still, when the laser hits the skin, the patient feels a heat sensation that for a few can take some adjusting to. Cooling helps reduce the discomfort. Laser treatments take about fifteen to twenty minutes.

Depending on their severity, two to five treatments are generally needed to remove spider veins in the legs. Patients can return to normal activity right after treatment, just as with sclerotherapy. For spider veins larger than 3 mm, laser therapy is not very practical.

Can spider veins return?

Can spider veins return even after treatment? Over a period of years, it is possible for more abnormal veins to develop. The major reason is that there is no cure for weak vein valves.

So with time, pressure can gradually build up in the leg veins and this will tell if your vein valves are not as strong as they might be. Of course, you can help avoid this recurrence of spider veins by wearing support hose at convenient times.

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