If the thought of wearing shorts or a swimsuit fills you with dread and embarrassment because of spider veins on your legs, you’re in good company. An estimated 30-60 percent of American adults suffer from spider veins, varicose veins, or both conditions. Knowing that millions of other share this unsightly and sometimes painful problem may not make you feel better, but knowing that there are safe and effective ways to treat spider and varicose veins should.

But what exactly are spider veins? Why do some folks develop them and others don’t?

What Are Spider Veins?

Spider veins are small, damaged blood vessels that develop on the surface of the legs or face. They can appear blue, purple, or red and may look like thin lines, webs, or branches that twist and turn. Varicose veins are similar, but they appear large and raised and are usually limited to the legs.

While many people with spider veins experience no pain (other than embarrassment), others feel aching or cramping as well as tiredness, restlessness, burning, throbbing, tingling, or heaviness in their legs.

What Causes Spider Veins?

Your vulnerability to spider or varicose veins is mostly a matter of age and genetics. But plenty of other lifestyle factors and other issues can make spider veins more likely.

Constant stress on the legs, such as from extended periods of standing throughout the day, can contribute to spider veins, as can any of the following:

• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Menopause
• Puberty
• Birth control
• Hormonal replacement therapy
• Blood clots

Spider Vein Prevention

Given many of the foregoing factors that contribute to spider veins, you can take preventative steps to minimize their development, including:

• Getting regular exercise to improve your leg strength, vein efficiency, and circulation
• Controlling your weight to prevent too much pressure on your legs
• Elevating your legs when resting
• Avoiding standing for long periods, taking regular breaks if you need to be on your feet for multiple hours

Spider Vein Treatments

At Dr. Mariano Busso’s Miami aesthetic dermatology clinic, we offer treatments that have relieved thousands of people from the embarrassment of spider veins.

Sclerotherapy is the varicose and spider vein treatment choice for millions of people every year. Sclerotherapy minimizes the visibility of unsightly leg veins by injecting a sclerosant solution into the damaged veins, which causes the veins to collapse and become absorbed into the bloodstream eventually. This safe procedure can be performed in your doctor’s office and takes less than an hour.

Ellipse Laser treatment sends energy into the blood and vessel walls, leading to complete or partial collapse of the unwanted vein, the same process that occurs in sclerotherapy. The constricted vessel then degenerates, reducing the visibility of leg veins.

You Don’t Need to Live With Embarrassing Spider Veins. Call Dr. Busso Today.

Dr. Mariano Busso is an acclaimed expert on a wide range of cosmetic and dermatological treatments, including sclerotherapy and the use of laser therapy to reduce and eliminate spider veins. Call our Miami clinic today at 305-857-0144 to schedule your consultation.