What are the best spider vein treatment options?
If you’re asking about your spider vein treatment options, you’re probably dissatisfied with the appearance of spider veins on your legs. The appearance of spider veins can cause considerable self-consciousness and anxiety. Spider veins are dense clusters of damaged blood vessels that appear on the skin’s surface, looking like a mass of dense spider webs that spread outwards. In addition to being ugly, spider veins can also be indicative of an underlying medical condition necessitating immediate treatment.
Spider veins are usually symptomatic of chronic venous insufficiency, a medical condition wherein the collapse of vein valves leads to backward blood circulation and the accumulation of blood in leg veins. Spider veins aren’t always caused by vein disease. But if your spider veins are indeed symptomatic of venous insufficiency, you need a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the underlying vein disease and the spider veins. Treating spider veins without addressing the root cause increases the risk of spider vein recurrence.
When you consult a vein treatment clinic about your varicose veins and spider veins, the vein doctors must perform thorough evaluations. The vein doctor should administer duplex ultrasound tests to visualize the blood flow in your leg veins, diagnose vein disease, and curate a personalized vein treatment plan for you. Below, we describe the best spider vein treatment options for you.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure for chronic venous insufficiency, the root cause of spider veins. The vein doctor makes a small incision on the skin’s surface and inserts a catheter into the diseased saphenous vein under ultrasound guidance. Once the catheter is lodged in place, the vein doctor channels thermal energy to collapse the diseased saphenous vein and reroute the accumulated blood into healthier leg veins.
Laser Ablation
Laser ablation is a minimally invasive procedure for the root cause of spider veins — chronic venous insufficiency. The vein doctor makes a small incision on the skin’s surface, inserts a specialized laser fiber, and guides it into the diseased saphenous vein. When the laser fiber is activated, it channels laser energy to collapse the diseased vein and reroute accumulated blood into healthier leg veins.
VenaSeal
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive procedure that addresses the root cause of spider veins. The vein doctor injects a medical-grade adhesive into the diseased saphenous vein under ultrasound guidance. The medical glue seals the diseased vein’s walls, turning it into a hardened scar tissue eventually absorbed by the body. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins, and the diseased vein is gradually absorbed.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive spider vein treatment, suitable for patients with superficial veins on the skin’s surface. The vein doctor injects a sclerosant medicine into the spider veins on the skin’s surface — one injection per spider vein. The sclerosant medicine seals the spider veins’ walls, turning them into hardened scar tissues eventually reabsorbed into the body. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins and restores optimal blood circulation.
Why am I getting spider veins on my legs?
Spider veins are essentially damaged blood vessels that appear on the skin’s surface. Spider veins usually occur because of chronic venous insufficiency, a medical condition wherein the collapse of vein valves leads to backwards blood circulation. Healthy veins contain valves that act as one-way doors, allowing blood to flow towards the heart but not backwards. When the vein valves collapse or malfunction, gravity forces blood to flow backward and accumulate in the leg veins, eventually leading to dilated veins that appear as spider veins on the legs.
Do spider veins on legs go away?
Spider veins don’t go away naturally. If you don’t seek treatment, blood will continue accumulating in the leg veins, leading to increased vascular dilation. You may soon develop new spider veins and varicose veins, i.e., veins popping out on legs. The only way to get rid of spider veins on legs is through minimally invasive procedures at a reliable vein treatment clinic.
Can you massage away spider veins?
You can’t massage your spider veins away. Massage can certainly make you feel better. When pressure is applied on the leg veins, some of the accumulated blood may flow back towards the heart, reducing the pressure on your leg veins. But a massage can only provide temporary relief from leg heaviness, leg swelling, and other symptoms of vein disease. The only way to treat spider veins and underlying vein disease is through minimally invasive procedures.
How do I get rid of spider veins on my legs naturally?
You can’t get rid of spider veins on your legs naturally. The only way to remove spider veins is through minimally invasive procedures, such as sclerotherapy. But you can make some lifestyle changes to prevent spider veins from spreading and stop the progression of chronic venous insufficiency. If you have spider veins, you must focus on making lifestyle changes that promote improved blood circulation towards your heart, such as wearing compression stockings, exercising, and remaining active.
Compression Stockings
Compression stockings apply pressure on your leg veins, pushing the accumulated blood towards the heart. Compression stockings can’t treat spider veins, but they can alleviate some of the symptoms of vein disease and prevent the condition from worsening.
Exercise
Exercises that engage your calf muscles alleviate the worst symptoms of vein disease. If you have spider veins, you can engage in cardiovascular exercises, such as running, swimming, cycling, and yoga. These exercises improve blood flow towards the heart.
Elevate Your Legs
You should elevate your legs above your heart’s level while sitting down. And if you have a desk job, take short walking breaks every 30 minutes to stretch your legs. These simple steps can prevent spider veins from worsening.
