Everyone these days wants to look younger, healthier, and have glowing skin. There are many treatments available to help make this happen, but what can be done about spider veins or varicose veins? And how do they form in the first place?
Nearly 80 million Americans have some sort of vein issue. Whether it be tiny spider veins on their face or the larger varicose veins on their legs, they’re unsightly – and the larger veins can also pose a potential health risk.
Incidentally, whereas arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to organs and tissues throughout the body, veins do the opposite. Veins carry the “used” blood with low oxygen back to the heart for reoxygenation, and the cycle continues.
Let’s talk about how varicose veins and spider veins form, and what can be done to treat them.
Spider veins differ from varicose veins mainly in terms of size. Spider veins are normally thin like a thread, and they do not bulge from the skin like varicose veins do.
Both spider veins and varicose veins form when the one-way valves that help blood to flow in the veins stop functioning properly. The valves can allow blood to flow backward and to pool in the vein, causing damage and a weakening of the vein wall. This pooling can be a small amount, causing spider veins, or a large amount, causing varicose veins.
Spider veins can happen both in the legs and the face, particularly on the nose. Spider veins are small and can appear like a web.
Whereas spider veins are usually red, varicose veins can be slightly raised from the skin and can appear blue, red, or purple. They do not normally cause any health issues but can be embarrassing to people who have them.
Varicose veins are larger than spider veins, but both occur because of venous insufficiency. Because the blood vessels in the legs are much larger than those found in the face, varicose veins are noticeably larger – and can bulge to the point where they can be seen and felt easily.
Based on the severity of varicose veins, they can be accompanied by pain, itching, bleeding, increased circulatory issues (such as swelling of the legs and ankles), a dull ache, or a feeling of heaviness in the legs. Because of their larger size, varicose veins can cause problems with a person’s circulation or increase the risk of developing blood clots.
If you have either spider veins or varicose veins that you would like to be less noticeable – or to have them removed completely – contact the skilled medical team at Premier Vein & Vascular. Dr. Saiyad is triple board-certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and vascular medicine, so he is triply qualified to successfully treat unsightly or painful spider veins or varicose veins.
Contact us today in the Tampa and Largo area by calling (888) VEINCARE (834-6227) or request a consultation online now, and take the first step to getting those unsightly veins cleared up – and get your legs and face camera-ready and beach-beautiful.
