Spider Veins

Spider Veins

Hide Burst Blood Vessels

You have no idea when the quarter-size network of tiny red veins appeared on your left thigh. One day they weren't there, the next day they were. What are they, and where did they come from?

"Spider veins are very, very superficial veins that don't have any function," says Lenise Banse, M.D., a dermatologist and vein expert at the Northeast Family Dermatology Center in Clinton Township, Michigan, who easily identifies them from their description.

"They look like spiderwebs (or, sometimes, star bursts) and they can be caused by superficial injuries--anything from being hit by a tennis ball to being jumped on by a pet," she says.

You probably won't even remember when the injury occurred, adds Dr. Banse. It doesn't take an attention-grabbing accident with stabbing pain. And the veins can appear anywhere on your body.

Spider veins may be more likely to pop up during pregnancy, although no one knows exactly why.

CONCEAL AND CONQUER

"With spider veins, it seems as though if you're going to get them, you're going to get them," says Margaret A. Weiss, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Once formed, spider veins tend to be permanent--unless you opt to have them removed by a dermatologist, by lasers or injection. Otherwise, your best recourse is to hide them--or discourage new ones from forming. Here's what women doctors suggest.

Look for cover. Spider veins are difficult to camouflage with makeup: You may need a heavy foundation like Dermablend, available in department stores, says Allison Vidimos, M.D., a staff dermatologist and vein expert at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Generally, says Dr. Vidimos, purplish spider veins are less obtrusive if they're covered with a green-tinted foundation.

That may sound weird, she adds, but the green tint combines with the purplish-red spider vein to create an optical illusion of flesh-colored tones. Salespeople are usually available to help you select the right shade.

Wear compression stockings. "Buy graduated compression stockings from a medical supply company," says Dr. Weiss. The stockings should fit tightly at the ankle and looser at the thigh. That makes it difficult for blood to pool in any weak veins and discourages the formation of spiders.

Avoid shiny support stockings from department stores, adds Dr. Weiss, because they won't work as well. Dressier support hose tend to look good but, she says, don't really do much for your veins.

Move around. Avoid standing in one place for more than a few minutes, suggests Dr. Weiss. Movement encourages venous blood to keep moving, while standing still encourages it to pool, which promotes spider veins.

Lunge and flex. If you must stand for long periods of time--perhaps you're employed as a cashier or a waitress, for example--Dr. Weiss suggests you periodically perform a stretch called a lunge.

Stand with your feet together, explains Dr. Weiss. Slide one foot about a foot forward, shift your weight to it, then bend your back leg at a 45-degree angle at the knee. Hold the position for a second, then stand up straight and return to your original position. Slide the other foot forward and repeat the exercise with the other knee. This movement will encourage blood to keep moving and not slow down long enough to fill out the troublesome veins, says Dr. Weiss.

Put your feet on the floor. If you have a job in which you sit a lot, sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor, suggests Dr. Weiss. Sitting with your legs crossed at the knees will increase pressure on the veins in your legs--and it may increase your chance of developing spider veins.