Spider veins are a type of mini spider veins that are located on the surface of the skin and are usually found on the inner sides of the thighs. They are not dangerous in themselves, but can be an indication of a disease of the deep-seated veins. In most cases, however, they are only a cosmetic problem and do not require treatment.
Veins are the vessels that transport the blood back to the heart. To do this, they have to build up a great deal of pressure to transport the blood against gravity. This is hard work, because of the approximately six litres of blood we have in our body, about 80% is in our veins.
So almost five litres of blood want to return to our heart all the time. To prevent the blood from flowing in the veins under the force of gravity, pressure is built up in the veins. In addition, there are the venous valves, which open in only one direction and thus prevent the blood from flowing back.
If the venous valves do not work, the blood is congested and flows back. The congestion in the veins causes high pressure in the vessels, which destroys the elasticity of the vessels. The veins become wider and become visible as red-blue structures in the skin.
Thus spider veins can be an indication of venous valve disease and can also be precursors of varicose veins. The most common reason for spider veins, however, is a congenital weakness of the connective tissue, which is normally not a cause for concern. In itself, spider veins are usually only a cosmetic problem and therefore do not need to be treated.
Before treatment, however, it should always be clarified why spider veins have occurred. For this purpose, the complete venous system, which consists of superficial and deep veins, must be examined. With an ultrasound examination, the doctor can rule out whether it is a varicose vein disease, vascular insufficiency or chronic venous insufficiency.
This examination is completely painless and can be done within a few minutes. If none of these diseases can be detected, the spider veins can be removed without any concerns. However, if one of the above mentioned diseases is found, the treatment of the disease should be the first priority before taking care of the spider veins. Spider veins can be sclerosed or treated with laser therapy, please consult your doctor. However, there is no 100% success rate for any spider vein treatment.
Therapy
In general, spider veins have no disease value and do not need to be removed. Therefore it is mostly cosmetic reasons that lead to the decision to remove spider veins. The statutory health insurance usually does not cover the costs.
There are various procedures available, which are usually performed on an outpatient basis in several sessions:
- Sclerotherapy:In the sclerotherapy procedure, the doctor injects an alcoholic agent, saline solution or polidocanol (also as foam) into the spider vein, which leads to inflammation in the vessel. This causes the vessel walls to stick together and the dilated vein closes and is disintegrated. The session takes about 30 minutes.
After this method, however, it is necessary to wear a compression stocking. Pain and burning may occur at the injection site. Skin discoloration may occur after this procedure, especially brown spots or scars are described.
After about 2-3 months, the spider veins should no longer be visible, as the vessel is transformed into fibrous tissue and thus shrinks. – Laser method:The laser method is a good alternative to the removal of spider veins with few complications. It can also be used for very small spider veins.
Mostly it is not painful and takes several sessions, depending on the size of the vessel. Before application, the skin is usually cooled to protect the skin from the laser. The laser causes the blood to coagulate in the desired vessel, which ultimately leads to damage to the vessel with shrinkage due to remodelling processes.
In this way, the vessel is remodeled and broken down by the body itself. After this treatment a compression therapy of the leg is not necessary. Tattooed skin areas must not be treated with the laser.
Brown skin changes can also occur with this variant. Itching and reddening of the skin are also observed. – Cauterization:Cauterization is a surgical procedure in which tissue destruction is caused by means of heat or cold or chemical agents.
This causes the vein to close and die. – Leech therapy:In naturopathy, leeches are also used to treat spider veins. Since spider veins have no disease value, the health insurance companies usually do not pay for their removal.
If the removal is still desired, the spider veins can be treated by means of desertification or laser therapy. These procedures are mainly carried out by specialists for veins, the phlebologists. Sclerotherapy, also known as sclerotherapy, is more commonly used for larger spider veins.
The aim is to close the dilated vein so that it no longer participates in the blood transport. After some time, the body breaks down the now useless vessel. The closure is achieved by injecting an alcohol solution directly into the vein, which causes the vein wall to become very irritated and then becomes sticky due to the inflammatory reaction.
The procedure is only slightly painful, but the injection site may turn brown and support stockings must be worn for a few days. Sometimes small scars remain. Laser treatment is a very elegant method with few side effects, especially if the spider veins are very small.
In several sessions the laser is guided over the affected areas. The red blood cells take up the laser energy and perish. Secondarily, the vascular wall is damaged and the expanded vascular system is broken down by the body.
However, it is possible that the spider veins will not fade completely as a result of the laser treatment. Sometimes a combined therapy with sclerotherapy is necessary. Following laser treatment, the skin area may be reddened and more susceptible to infection.
In rare cases, the lasered skin loses its pigment and stands out as a bright spot in the future. It is not necessary to wear compression stockings in this case. Both procedures are performed on an outpatient basis.
Usually several 15-30 minute sessions are necessary. There are numerous creams in pharmacies and shops that advertise the improvement of spider veins. They contain, for example, vitamin K. As a sole therapy they are usually not sufficient, but as a supplement they can be used after consultation with the treating physician to relieve the veins.
In naturopathy, leeches are used to treat spider veins. However, there is no reliable knowledge about their effectiveness. There are creams with natural ingredients that are supposed to help with spider veins.
These include creams with the active ingredients from horse chestnut, butcher’s broom and red vine leaves. The creams promote the blood circulation and thus prevent the congestion of blood in the veins. They also have a vein-strengthening effect and have a vasodilator effect.
As a result, less fluid is supposed to be able to escape from the vessel into the surrounding tissue and thus a decongestant (anti-edematous) effect has been described. The legs should also feel less heavy. The extract from the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) contains the active ingredient aescin.
Aescin is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect and to promote the flow of blood, thus reducing swelling. The effect of horse chestnut extract was confirmed in a study. The effect included a reduction in the circumference of the legs.
The application can lead to side effects such as stomach discomfort or, if applied locally to the skin, to itching. Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) belongs to the asparagus family. Its active ingredient Ruscogenine is said to have decongestant, vein-stabilising and anti-inflammatory properties.
Thus, naturopathy recommends the use of butcher’s broom as an accompanying treatment for chronic venous insufficiency, but also for heavy and swollen legs. The grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in the red vine leaves is also said to contribute to vein sealing with active substances such as flavonoids and to alleviate inflammation. It is therefore also considered to be an alternative for use in spider veins.
Synthetically produced ointments contain only the active ingredients of natural substances. Furthermore, they often contain a high proportion of vitamin K1. Improvements are often only described after weeks, a complete removal of already existing spider veins is not to be expected with creams alone. Therefore, such creams can be used in addition to other therapy options and rather do not work sufficiently as a sole method. Especially in cases of very pronounced spider veins or chronic venous insufficiency other measures should be applied.
