Why Do We Get Leg Veins And How Dermatologists Treat Them?

Varicose veins are enlarged veins. They often twist and can bulge above the surface of the skin. Spider veins often look like webs.

Having spider or varicose veins can affect much more than your appearance. These veins can cause a lot of discomfort. Some types of varicose veins put you at risk for a problem like a blood clot or open sores on your legs.

Causes of Visible Leg Veins

Varicose and spider veins are damaged veins. They develop when tiny, one-way valves inside the veins weaken. In healthy veins, these valves thrust blood in one direction back to our heart. When these valves slightly weaken, some blood flows backward and collects in the vein. Additional blood in the vein puts pressure on the walls of the vein. With the constant pressure, the vein walls weaken and bulge, resulting in varicose or spider vein.

Some people have a greater risk of developing these veins. If blood relatives have them, you may have a higher risk. Many people get them because they sit or stand for long periods. These veins also become more common with age. Also, during the pregnancy. Spider veins can also occur due to sunlight, hormonal changes, or an injury.

How Dermatologists Treat the Problem of Leg Veins?

Treatment options range from self-care to minor surgery. 

A dermatologist may use one or more of these treatment mentioned below:-

Minimally invasive treatment can get rid of or slightly fade leg veins. Treatment can also diminish symptoms like pain and fatigue and prevent any complications.

Compression stockings apply steady pressure to help move the blood back to your heart. The steady pressure also lessens swelling in your lower legs and decreases the risk of getting a blood clot. You might still have visible leg veins, though.

Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for leg veins. Over the years, dermatologists have upgraded sclerotherapy to make it safer and give patients better results. Today, they use it to treat spider and small varicose veins.

This treatment causes the walls of the vein to stick together, so that the blood cannot flow through it anymore. This improves circulation in the treated leg and lessens swelling. Spider veins usually disappear within 3 to 6 weeks. Varicose veins might take 3 to 4 months. In order to get the best results, you may need 2 or 3 treatments.

Laser treatments are also used to treat spider veins and small varicose veins. During laser vein removal treatment, your dermatologist directs the laser light at the vein. Small spider veins may fade immediately after the treatment. While larger spider veins and varicose veins will darken. You will likely see them for 1 to 3 months before they disappear. To get complete removal, you may need 3 or more treatments. Usually, patients can return to work and many of their normal activities the next day itself.

Endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are latest laser treatments available. They often substitute the need to surgically remove a vein. EVLT is used to treat spider veins and small varicose veins and RFA is used to treat large varicose veins.