When women want to look their best, varicose and spider veins are unsightly and annoying. Even though these skin blemishes are different in appearance, they are both vein problems that are cosmetic. For women living in South Florida where people are showing a lot of skin and warm weather prevails, this is an issue many want resolved. Understanding the difference between spider veins and varicose veins not only helps patients understand what is going on with their body, but also how to resolve the problem.
What Do Spider Veins and Varicose Veins Look Like?
A spider vein is typically superficial and fine, whereas a varicose vein is protruding and large in size. Unless spider veins are clustered together, they are more difficult to see than varicose veins because they typically measure in at less than one millimeter in diameter. On the other hand, varicose veins are much larger and their diameter can be as much as four of five millimeters in size. Patients also report that varicose veins are also painful sometimes. When touched, varicose veins often feel spongy. The only time they feel tender to the touch or hard is if they have become clotted off.
Patients often describe their spider veins appearing like a bruise on their legs because they look like purplish wisps with reddish clusters. However, varicose veins have a bluish tint to them and protrude from the skin’s surface. This is troublesome to those walking through Hollywood, Florida on their vacations and would rather have smooth skin while sporting their summer wardrobes. It is usually at this point, during the planning process of a vacation or weekend getaway, that patients start thinking about the removal of spider veins and varicose veins. It’s not because these women are experiencing pain, but rather because they do not want others to see these veins.
Do Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Cause Pain?
When a woman experiences pain from her varicose veins, it can typically be associated with her menstrual cycle. The good news about spider veins is that they usually do not cause any pain or discomfort most of the time. However, some women have reported slight discomfort from their spider veins during their menstrual cycles. This pain is typically associated with the levels of progesterone and estrogen cycling during a normal menstruation cycle.
Neither of these veins are dangerous despite the fact that they can cause pain from time to time. They can be uncomfortable, this is true, and they can also cause embarrassment for those who are traveling throughout the Miami area where people love to show off their legs in the sun. Florida is notorious for showing off bare legs because it’s constantly bathing suit weather. Because warm weather is consistent in Florida, woman are consistently seeking efficient and safe ways to eliminate their varicose veins and spider veins.
Can Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Be Removed?
Both varicose veins and spider veins can be simple removed through laser ablation, sclerotherapy, and microphlebectomy. All patients need to do is schedule an appointment with their doctor, receive a proper diagnosis, receive a recommended treatment, and undergo the prescribed treatment procedure. Each treatment is performed as an outpatient procedure, therefore the recovery time is minimal. The majority of these vein treatments require less the one hour of the patient’s time and, once completed, the resulting down time involved is minimal. Patients often report afterward that they wonder why they have waited so long to undergo this procedure.
