Unsightly Veins

Here’s the deal with unsightly veins: The heart pumps blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. Arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart toward the various body parts, while veins carry blood containing carbon dioxide from these body parts back to the heart. As the blood is pumped back to the heart, healthy veins act as one-way valves to prevent the blood from flowing backward.

If a one-way valve in a vein becomes weak due to a variety of reasons, including sun exposure and lack of physical activity, some of the blood can leak back into the vein. As a result, blood collects in the vessel, which then become congested or clogged. This congestion will cause the vein to bulge a bit. The enlargement coupled with the vivid color of the “stranded” blood makes the unsightly vein more noticeable, especially in people with thinner skin.

Unsightly veins occur frequently on people who spend a lot of time on their feet for their jobs or lifestyles, but other factors such as aging, pregnancy, genetics, and obesity can also make you more likely to get them. Both men and women can get unsightly veins, but women are at a higher risk.

Enlarged and unsightly veins are typically categorized as either varicose veins or spider veins.

Spider veins are usually tiny, thin, and can be seen directly beneath the skin. Sometimes spider veins can cause discomfort but, in most cases, they are harmless, and patients choose to have them removed for cosmetic reasons because they consider them unattractive. In more severe cases, spider veins can cause swelling in the legs or feet, itching, burning, cramping, or fatigued muscles.

Varicose veins are thicker, ropier, and may indicate an underlying health condition.

Unsightly veins can be treated by laser or sclerotherapy or a combination of both treatments. Laser treatments work by heating and “sealing” the walls of the visible blood vessels together so that they can no longer carry blood. Once they are rendered useless, they dry up and can be reabsorbed by the body. Lasers are particularly effective on unsightly veins that are superficial and smaller than 3 millimeters.

Sclerotherapy involves injecting an irritating substance into the targeted vessels, causing the walls of the blood vessels to scar. This also seals them off from the rest of the circulatory system and allows them to be reabsorbed by the body.

Small unsightly veins on the face called telangectasias commonly develop from sun exposure or rosacea and can be treated with lasers to help them to resolve.

Options for treatment include aura laser for facial telangiectasias, and sclerotherapy for legs.