Q&A
Spider Veins: Treatments & Procedures
Question:
I hate the sight of those spider veins across my calves. Is there any way I get rid of them?
Spider veins are small clusters of dilated blood vessels close to the surface of the skin and often appear as thread-like red- or blue-colored veins. Spider veins are not harmful to your health and are usually painless. However, they can be very unattractive to look at, and that's why spider vein treatments are more of a cosmetic procedure than a medical one.
If you are bothered by the appearance of these spider veins, you can treat them through a procedure called sclerotherapy, which is the more popular option among cosmetic surgeons. This involves injecting a liquid medication into the vein, stopping the flow of blood through it. Eventually, the vein collapses and the tissue is then slowly absorbed by the body.
Another option is laser surgery, where laser energy is used to zap and destroy the veins. Unfortunately, neither option will prevent new spider veins from forming.
