Spider Veins Q&A

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What are spider veins?

 

If you’ve ever seen little web- or branch-like blood vessels appear on your skin’s surface, then you’re familiar with spider veins. These tiny veins aren’t a harm to your health, but you might not like the way they look. Though you can get vascular lesions like these anywhere on your body, the most common locations for spider veins are your legs and face.

 

Spider veins vary in color but they all respond to the same type of treatment for pigmented and vascular lesions. The team at Tourmaline Skin Care & Laser examines your spider veins and can treat one or more of them with a quick 30-minute procedure. Depending on several factors, you might need multiple spider vein treatment sessions. 

 

What causes spider veins?

 

There are many factors that can contribute to the development of spider veins, and not all of them are within your control. These blood vessels often appear on your skin’s surface when they burst under pressure. You might get them because of:

• Obesity

• Hormone changes during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause

• Birth control pills

• Your genetics

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

• Ultraviolet (UV) light damage

The team at Tourmaline Skin Care & Laser can help you explore the factors contributing to your spider veins. In addition to the listed factors, conditions that cause increased pressure in your abdomen are also likely to cause spider veins. This includes prolonged constipation and abdominal tumors. 

 

How are spider veins treated?

 

Spider veins respond to laser vein reduction treatments at Tourmaline Skin Care & Laser. These treatments use a laser device with adjustable settings to target and heat the blood vessels under your skin. 

 

The heat from the laser causes the walls of the spider vein to constrict, which makes them collapse. When this happens, blood can no longer flow through those particular vessels. Instead, it must reroute through other tiny blood vessels in the area. 

 

On your skin’s surface, the visible vein slowly fades and then disappears. Meanwhile, the treatment does no damage to the skin and tissues around the vein. You might need multiple treatment sessions to make a spider vein disappear entirely. 

 

If you’re interested in exploring spider vein treatments, call Tourmaline Skin Care & Laser or book an appointment online today.