Spider Veins 101

As you age, you may notice some unsightly web-like red or purple lines in your legs that usually branch into clusters. For some people, they can find these unusual nerve clusters in prominent parts of the body like the face, nose, fingers, and cheeks. This skin condition is called "telangiectasia" or commonly known as "spider veins."

Although not life-threatening, a lot of people in Singapore undergo spider vein treatments to finally get rid of these unpleasant streaks in the body. These spider veins seem to rob the people of self-esteem and interfere with their daily life because they can cause several physical discomforts as well.

How Does Spider Veins Develop?

Spider veins got its name because of the spiderweb-like appearance of these clusters of tiny blood vessels that appear near the skin's surface. How exactly does spider veins develop?

The body has millions of tiny veins that carry blood from other parts of the body to the heart via a series of one-way valves. The valves only allow a one-way direction to prevent the back-flow of blood. However, if there are abnormalities in the valves, the muscles surrounding the valves, or the blood itself, then blood pool can occur inside these veins, which can build pressure inside and weaken the vessel wall. Thus, these veins tend to swell and distort, resulting to what is called spider veins or, in a worse case, varicose veins.

What Causes Spider Veins?

Although spider veins are said to develop in older people, studies show that people of all ages can be prone to this skin condition, especially pregnant women and children. Here are some common factors that can increase a person's chance of developing spider veins:

• Age - The veins tend to be weaker in older people.
• Medical history - The risk of having spider or varicose veins is high when weak vein valves run in the family.
• Occupation - Spending long hours of sitting or standing adds pressure to the veins.
• Pregnancy - Spider and varicose veins can develop during pregnancy because the body pumps more blood in this stage. 
• Overweight or obesity - Having abnormal weight can be stressful for your veins.

How Do You Treat Spider Veins?

There are a number of treatments for spider veins depending on the diagnosis. Compression stockings, creams, and medications recommended by your doctor can be a great way to temporarily relieve any stress or pain. If you are overweight, then weight loss might be suggested to lessen the pressure in your legs while you are standing or walking. 

Sclerotherapy is a popular and inexpensive procedure wherein a saline solution is injected directly into the spider veins to gradually eliminate them from sight. If you have both varicose veins and spider veins, then endovenous laser treatment is a better choice. In this treatment, the veins are inserted with a very thin fiber that gives pulses of laser light, causing the vein to collapse and close. Thus, the blood will flow via other healthy veins instead.

Another minimally invasive spider vein treatments is the radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat or laser energy to close the damaged veins. There are also quality vascular surgery services in Singapore that can treat those with much serious complications.

Conclusion

In Singapore, spider veins are often overlooked. However, treating spider veins is not a matter of aesthetics alone.