Spider veins are small, dilated veins near the surface of the skin, about 0.3 to 1.0 millimeters in size. They may be red, blue, purplish, or greenish in color. The medical term for spider veins is telangiectasia.
Spider veins occur in up to 80% of the population. Spider veins can develop anywhere on the body, but are commonly found on the face and legs. They form when pressure builds up inside a vein due to valves in larger veins, called reticular veins, not working properly. Spider veins are also related to genetics, pregnancy, and trauma.
At Bellamah Vein Center, we use sclerotherapy and VeinGogh to treat spider veins. Sclerotherapy is often done in conjunction with radiofrequency ablation or endovenous laser treatment in order to treat the problem reticular veins as well.
