Are Spider Veins a Health Concern?

The year-round temps in Florida encourage baring your legs more often than not, yet you’re covering them up thanks to spider veins. While you’re not thrilled with the cosmetic effect of these spindly surface veins on your legs, you’re also wondering whether they might signal a more significant medical problem.

Let the dermatology team at Z-ROC Dermatology first put your mind at ease — in the vast majority of cases, spider veins are not a medical concern.

With that out of the way, Dr. Matthew Zarraga and Dr. Khongruk Wongkittiroch want to take a quick look at where spider veins come from and, more importantly, how we can quickly and easily banish them from the surface of your skin.

So, if you want to get back to baring your legs with confidence again, read on.

Spider veins — the origin story

We first want to draw your attention to the fact that spider veins are incredibly common — they affect more than half of women. We also want to point out that spider veins don’t involve veins at all but rather smaller blood vessels called capillaries, venules, and arterioles. So, in terms of circulation, spider veins have no impact.

There are several driving forces behind spider veins, including:

• Estrogen hormones, which is why women are more prone to spider veins
• Pregnancy and hormone changes
• Injury or trauma
• Aging
• Exposure to sunlight

The only medical condition tied to telangiectasias, the medical term for spider veins, is chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). With CVI, valves in the veins in your legs weaken and don’t close all the way, allowing blood to spill backward. 

When this happens, the pressure inside the blood vessels increases and sends them to the surface of your skin. In most cases, the result is varicose veins, but spider veins can also pop up. 

The bottom line, however, is that spider veins are rarely cause for concern medically, but they can certainly be a cosmetic nuisance.

Getting rid of spider veins has never been easier

So, we’ve already covered the good news about spider veins being mostly harmless. The even better news is that we can easily get rid of these veins through our innovative and cutting-edge laser dermatology services, including intense-pulsed light (IPL) treatments.

In 2022 alone, nearly 3 million IPL treatments were performed in the United States, treating everything from tattoo removal to spider vein removal.

Our IPL treatments break up the spider veins in just a few quick and easy sessions. Your body reabsorbs the remnants, leaving nothing behind but smooth, blemish-free skin.

If you’d like to get your legs out of hiding, we invite you to schedule your spider vein IPL treatments today. To get started, please contact our Fort Lauderdale, Florida.