Spider Veins vs Varicose Veins
Posted on February 10, 2020 in blog by Lewisburg Team
Spider veins and varicose veins are common conditions that affect many adults. These abnormally enlarged vessels, which affect women more often than men, appear most often on the legs and become more prevalent with age. Spider veins and varicose veins affect up to 50% of the adult population.
Spider and Varicose veins, are abnormal, dilated blood vessels. They often form in the legs. They develop when the valves and walls of the veins are weak, which causes blood to pool in the veins. This pooling increases the pressure in the veins, and they become enlarged.
Varicose Veins and Spider Veins – What is the Difference?
While varicose veins and spider veins have the same cause, there are differences between them:
Varicose Veins
- Varicose veins appear as dilated, twisted, bulging blue, purple, or skin-colored blood vessels that can be seen and felt right under the surface of the skin.
- They can cause a feeling of heaviness, discomfort or swelling in the legs.
- Rarely, they can lead to more serious health conditions such as non-healing sores and/or blood clots.
- Treatment may be necessary to prevent varicose veins from worsening and to improve how the legs look and feel.
Spider Veins
- Spider veins appear as tiny red, blue, or purple lines, that look like branches or a spider web just below the surface of your skin.
- Spider veins are commonly found on legs but they can also be found on the face as well
- They’re almost always painless, do not cause leg swelling and generally do not lead to other health problems.
- While someone can have both varicose veins and spider veins, it’s important to point out that spider veins do not always turn into varicose veins.
- Treatment of spider veins alone is usually considered cosmetic.
At Lewisburg Plastic Surgery we offer treatment for Spider Veins but if you have Varicose Veins you would need to see a Vascular Surgeon or consult with your Primary Care Physician for treatment options.
At the office we offer the Excel Laser to treat Spider Veins and broken capillaries. For the month of February of 2020, we are offering complimentary skin care consultation for laser leg vein treatment.
Laser Treatment for Leg Veins
If you suffer from unsightly spider veins, Lewisburg Plastic Surgery & Dermatology offers the industry’s safest and most effective leg and facial vein treatment. With this revolutionary new technology, Dr. Normington and his staff can help.
Lasers and light sources play a unique role to effectively treat nuisance veins. What’s new is that these devices are much more sophisticated today than in years gone by, so our results are that much more impressive.
“Spider” veins do not have any useful function, and treating them will not affect your circulation. The number of treatments needed varies for each individual depending on the type, size and number of veins to be treated. Multiple treatment sessions are usually required. It is important to realize that the best results require patience, as it takes time for your body to respond to vein treatments. It is important to follow the post-treatment instructions to optimize your results.