Leg spider veins or broken veins, are a benign medical condition that tends to affect people’s lower limbs as they get older. Spider veins on the legs are generally not harmful, but they can be unsightly and embarrassing.
Leg spider veins occur as a result of problems in the circulatory system. Healthy veins continually direct blood towards the heart through a series of one-way valves. Occasionally, these valves may break down or malfunction, allowing blood to pool in the vein. This causes the vein to bulge and twist until it becomes noticeable on the surface of the skin.
Common Questions & Advice About Leg Spider Veins
What are these spider-like veins that sometimes can be seen on my legs?
Leg spider veins are vascular malformations that appear as ‘spider web’ on the leg. These are most common in women, on the inside of your lower leg, and look like little lumps that branch out from a larger one. They can affect men and women but are more common among women because of their wider peripheral veins. The most common are: varicose vein of the lower leg 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Lumbar, varicose vein pedis constrictive, and varicose vein vulvar around your vaginal area.
What are the types of spider veins?
They are different types of spider veins – pedis, crural, deep venous, and superficial. Hereditary varicose vein syndromes such as Familial Hypercholesterolemia or Babymaker syndrome can also cause leg spider veins. The lack of proper circulation is normally the main cause of spider veins and varicose veins.
How are leg spider veins removed?
The traditional treatment for thread veins is microsclerotherapy. This treatment involves injecting the vein with a chemical that causes the vein walls to stick together. This blocks blood flow and stimulates the body to redirect the blood to deeper veins and reabsorb the broken vein. Since the process involves multiple small needle injections, there is some discomfort and pain during the procedure.
The recovery period for this treatment can be extensive. The process results in bruising that clears away naturally within weeks or months. The area may be sensitive during this time. The severity of bruising varies from person to person depending on their health and the number and size of veins treated. Very large veins may result in deeper bruising that will fade to a dark brown discolouration. The discolouration may take up to one year to fade completely. Medical compression stockings are often worn to improve bruise recovery and shorten the time.
While microsclerotherapy is effective, it may require additional treatments to remove all veins. Generally, a single treatment will remove 60-70 per cent of the veins. A patient must then wait for bruising to fade before going for an additional treatment.
How can I prevent leg spider veins?
In most cases, spider veins cannot be entirely prevented.
They are a natural occurrence of age and degradation of the circulatory system. That said, people can take several steps to decrease the likelihood of thread veins or keep their severity to a minimum.
Lifestyle changes are key to helping prevent spider veins. This includes getting plenty of exercise in the legs and feet, such as jogging or walking. It also includes maintaining a healthy weight so that circulation in the legs and feet is less stressed. If your job involves long periods of standing or sitting, it is important to stretch or move the legs and feet periodically to keep good circulation and blood flow.
Will my leg spider veins return after treatment?
All of the treatments for spider veins generally result in the permanent removal of the treated vein.
Treatment, however, is very site specific. Only directly treated veins will be removed, and the treatment does not prevent the occurrence of new veins. Over time, patients will likely have some occurrence of additional veins at or near the treated area or at different areas of the body. They may need additional treatments to remove the new veins. This does not mean that previous treatments have failed.
Treatment for unsightly thread veins, spider veins or varicose veins is possible. The majority of patients respond very well to treatment and can continue about their daily lives with minimal to no complications. Freedom from embarrassing veins is possible today.
How much does it cost to treat leg spider veins?
** Prices below are starting from prices and may differ based on optimum treatment strategy.
Spider veins treatment start at £350 per leg.
Once you have been quoted a treatment price for your spider veins, this is the final price which includes the treatment and follow up consultations.
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