While spider veins generally don’t pose any real threat healthwise, their appearance can be most unwelcome, as red and purple lines appear across the surface of your skin.
At Soffer Health Institute, our team of vascular specialists, under the direction of Dr. Ariel Soffer, excels in treating cosmetically troublesome spider veins. For those who undergo our treatments and wish to avoid a recurrence, or for those who don’t yet have spider veins, here are some tips to keep them at bay.
Before we get into our tips for preventing spider veins, let’s quickly review what we’re up against. Spider veins largely occur in your legs or on your face -- and for different reasons.
When it comes to your legs, these surface veins are normally the result of mild venous insufficiency. The veins in your legs are equipped with small valves that close off as blood passes through on its way back to your heart. If these valves weaken, they may not close all the way, which allows blood to spill backward. This backflow can cause blood to pool which enlarges your veins.
When it comes to your face, facial veins are tiny blood vessels that have burst, which may be due to overexposure to the sun or pressure.
Now that we better understand how spider veins form, let’s take a look at how you can prevent them, especially those in your legs.
First, we recommend that you maintain a healthy lifestyle that encourages vascular health. Ample exercise and a diet filled with the right nutrients can help support your health, while a sedentary lifestyle and a diet full of fat can cause plaque to build up in your blood vessels.
We also recommend that you exercise the muscles in your calves directly as they help support your veins. If your calf muscles weaken, your veins lose this outside support and have to work harder to keep your blood flowing upward.
A great hack is to wear compression stockings, which apply pressure to your legs to help your veins function properly.
Of course, not all spider veins can be prevented as 90% of people with spider veins have a family history of them, which may mean there's a genetic link, though coincidence also plays a role.
As well, gender plays a critical role, as women are far more likely to develop spider veins thanks to hormonal influences and pregnancy.
If, despite your best efforts, you still develop spider veins, the good news is that we offer effective treatments for getting rid of them. First, we can use laser therapy to break apart the veins without harming the surface of your skin.
Another effective treatment is sclerotherapy, a procedure in which we make tiny incisions in a procedure that shrinks the veins.
Lastly, we can remove larger veins surgically through very small incisions.
Rest assured, once we destroy the veins, your blood reroutes to healthier blood vessels.
If you’d like to learn more about preventing or treating spider veins, please contact one of our three offices in Weston, or Aventura, Florida. You can call us or try our easy-to-use online booking option.
