What can I do about spider veins?
In many cases, spider veins are harmless and tend to be an aesthetic matter. But they may also be the first signs of venous disorder or, if located around the ankle as corona phlebectatica, of a more serious venous insufficiency.
Compression works
If you are diagnosed with spider veins, your doctor can prescribe medical compression stockings to apply a controlled pressure on your leg. By compressing the leg strongest at the ankle and decreasing going up the leg, the compression stocking gently squeezes the vein walls together, thereby easing blood flow back towards the heart, reducing venous pressure, and improving overall blood circulation.
Medical compression stockings can help to prevent formation of additional spider veins. They may also reduce associated symptoms, e.g. leg swelling. In addition, progression of an underlying venous disorder and the risk of developing a blood clot can be reduced by wearing compression stockings.
Are there other treatment options for spider veins?
If spider veins are removed for aesthetic reasons, the aesthetic doctor will use an endo-vascular procedure to occlude the visible veins. The procedure of choice is sclerotherapy, an ultrasound-guided procedure that involves cannulating the vein and injecting a foaming agent or sclerosant that leads to occlusion of the vein. In the best case, the collapsed vein is reabsorbed into local tissue and fades over time.
Compression stockings are recommended to be worn after the treatment for the best possible outcome.