It is estimated that 20% of women and 10% of men suffer from varicose and spider veins worldwide. This translates to tens of millions of people in the United States alone. Whether you desire cosmetic improvement or relief of symptoms associated with leg vein problems, the following information should help you to better understand the condition and the current treatments available.
Veins throughout your body return blood back to your heart. In order to do this efficiently, veins have one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards (reflux). If they fail to close properly, blood will leak through the valves and result in pooling. Over time, this pooling will force the vein walls outward resulting in enlargement and sometimes bulging of the vein. These enlarged veins are telangiectasia (commonly called spider veins) or varicose veins.
Spider veins are small red, purple or bluish veins located just below the surface of the skin. They can have a linear or web-like appearance, hence, the term spider vein. Varicose veins are larger veins located deeper under the skin which are abnormally enlarged. Varicose veins can protrude from the skin surface resulting in a rope-like appearance.
