Medicines for Spider veins

What it is

Spider veins (also called thread veins or telangiectasia) are small, thin veins visible just beneath the surface of the skin, appearing as fine red, blue or purple lines, often in a web-like or branching pattern (hence "spider" veins). They most commonly appear on the legs and the face. They are extremely common, particularly in women and with increasing age, and are usually harmless — mainly a cosmetic concern rather than a medical problem, and often causing no symptoms, though some people find leg thread veins ache or feel slightly uncomfortable. They develop when these tiny surface veins become widened and more visible, and contributing factors include ageing, family tendency, hormonal changes (such as pregnancy or hormonal treatments), prolonged standing, sun exposure (particularly for facial thread veins), and, on the legs, sometimes underlying issues with the larger veins. Spider veins are different from varicose veins, which are larger, bulging veins, though the two can occur together, and leg thread veins are occasionally a sign of underlying vein problems. In most cases, though, spider veins are simply a common, benign cosmetic feature.

How it is treated

Because spider veins are usually harmless, they often need no treatment, and reassurance that they are a common, benign cosmetic feature is frequently all that is required. Where they cause discomfort or are cosmetically bothersome, options exist, though these are often not available on the NHS for purely cosmetic reasons and may be sought privately. Treatments for thread veins include: sclerotherapy (injecting a solution into the vein that causes it to close and fade), and laser or intense-light treatments (particularly useful for facial thread veins) — these can reduce their appearance, though more than one session may be needed, and new thread veins can appear over time. For leg thread veins, it is worth being aware that they can occasionally be associated with underlying problems in the larger leg veins, so if there are also symptoms such as aching, swelling, or varicose veins, an assessment of the leg veins may be appropriate, as treating an underlying vein problem can be relevant. General measures — such as avoiding prolonged standing, keeping active, and sun protection (for facial veins) — may help limit new ones. The reassuring message is that spider veins are very common and usually harmless, needing no treatment, with cosmetic treatments available if wanted, and that leg thread veins with other symptoms are worth having the deeper veins assessed.