901 West 38th Street
Suite 410
Austin, TX 78705
512.533.9900
Monday - Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am - 1:00pm
Spider Vein Treatments Austin
What Causes Spider Veins?
Spider veins are caused by similar factors that cause varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. These factors include:
- Genetics
Most women with spider veins have mothers and/or female relatives with this vein condition. Weak vein walls and valves, as well as shortage of vein valves, seem to be inherited characteristics, and may play a role in determining who develops spider veins and at what age. - Pregnancy
During pregnancy, and to a lesser degree also during periods, fluctuations in the female sex hormone (especially estrogen and progesterone), cause softening of the vein walls and valves. This makes women’s veins more prone to stretching and enlargement with increased pressure. Increased blood volume, which is needed to provide circulation to the fetus, also cause increased pressure on the vein walls. The growing fetus also exerts pressure on the pelvis, which in turn, exerts pressure on the leg veins. Some women see spider veins that develop during their pregnancies and persist after their baby is born. Other see that their veins disappear after the baby is born, only to reappear later in life. - Prolonged standing and sitting
Prolonged standing and sitting cause a great amount of pressure to develop in the leg veins. In both conditions, the calf muscles are inactive and therefore cannot help push the venous blood to return to the heart. This causes blood to pool in the veins, thus resulting in increased pressure on the vein walls.This pressure drops once one begins to walk, so if your job requires you to stand or sit for prolonged periods, remember to take short breaks and walk around for a couple of minutes every hour.
- Injury
In some people, spider veins appear after injury or trauma to the vein, such as after a broken ankle, surgery, car accident, or sports injury. Bruising, which is pooled blood resulting from broken veins under the skin, can also lead to an inflammatory response, which in turn, can result in enlarged veins. Sometimes, spider veins can appear many years after the wound has healed. - Vein Conditions
In men, spider veins are usually the result of blow-outs from nearby varicose veins. High pressure from these veins cause adjoining superficial veins to stretch, enlarge, and change in color. These spider veins are usually darker and have larger diameters than the spider veins in women. Spider vein matting, which resemble bruises that do not go away, is often caused by the healing process of injuries and bruises, as well as complications from sclerotherapy. Ankle flares, or spider veins found on the inside ankle, is often associated with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition where venous blood is not returned efficiently to the heart.
What are the Causes of Facial Spider Veins?
- Although for most people spider veins occurs in their legs, there are instances where fine veins in the face and nose area become enlarged and darker in color.
For some, prominent facial veins are caused by rosacea. This condition is marked by numerous red spider veins in the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin, and is sometimes accompanied by acne breakouts. Although the cause of rosacea is unknown, it seems that alcohol and spicy food consumption, as well as stress, may play a role.
Chronic sun exposure can also cause spider veins, as well as other forms of skin damage such as wrinkles, freckles, moles, and skin cancer. Trauma, such as bruising, can also lead to spider veins.
In some people with chronic allergies and inherited predisposition to vein conditions, repetitive sneezing and coughing can lead to enlargement of veins around the nose and below the nostrils. Bouts of violent vomiting can also create enough pressure to cause spider veins to form in the cheeks.
The first three factors account for most of the causes of spider veins. Keep in mind that there may be primary and contributing factors to spider veins, and these factors may not contribute equally to the vein conditions in different individuals.
Laser treatment can be beneficial for some types of spider veins. Spider veins on the nose and face usually respond better to lasers than to injections. Some patients develop tiny red spider veins in areas where larger spider veins or varicose veins had been previously treated.
And finally, some patients develop tiny red spider veins from taking certain medications like birth control pills, hormone replacement, or steroids. These tiny red veins are difficult to inject. Laser treatment can sometimes make a significant improvement in these cases. Ask the doctor if laser spider vein treatment is right for you.
Millions of women are bothered by spider veins – those small yet unsightly clusters of red, blue or purple veins that most commonly appear on the thighs, calves and ankles. In fact, it’s estimated that at least half of the adult female population is plagued with this common cosmetic problem.
Sclerotherapy is a way to permanently eliminate spider veins, although treatment does not prevent new spider veins from forming. Sclerotherapy is the introduction of a sclerosing agent (hardening agent) into spider veins by using a small needle. The agent causes blood in spider veins to displace, and then collapse and disappears over time.
A “hypertonic” or very concentrated sodium chloride solution (saline) is injected into the varicose veins. While there are many unapproved substances used to sclerose spider veins, hypertonic saline is the only agent approved by the FDA.
