Everything You Need To Know About Facial Spider Veins

What Causes Facial Spider Veins and How To Treat Them

Spider veins can cause unsightly blemishes on the face, neck, chest and legs. Red and bluish in color, spider veins are blood vessels that contort visibly just under the surface of the skin. While spider veins are usually harmless, they can be seen as unflattering to a person’s appearance, WebMD reports that they can cause itching, stinging or slight discomfort around the affected areas. Facial spider veins are typically seen as the most disruptive to a person’s appearance with veins running under the eyes, around the forehead, and on the cheeks.

Causes of Facial Spider Veins

• Hereditary Conditions

People with a family history of spider veins are more likely to have the condition themselves. A history of vein conditions such as varicose veins and bleeding veins can all contribute to the prevalence of facial spider veins.

• Lifestyle Choices

Anything that puts added pressure on the blood vessels is seen as a contributing factor to facial spider veins. Alcoholism and too much exposure to sunlight are some of the most common lifestyle choices that can cause facial spider veins.

• Hormones

A dramatic shift in hormones can also be a culprit. The most common of which include high levels of estrogen and progesterone.

• Physical Trauma

There are a host of other health conditions that can lead to facial spider veins including past trauma and injury to the skin.

Ways to Treat Facial Spider Veins

There are numerous ways to treat and remove facial spider veins. Most treatment methods involve some form of elimination since facial spider veins are not essential to the body.

• Sclerotherapy

Long considered the gold standard when it comes to treating facial spider veins, sclerotherapy uses a form of injection to eliminate the unwanted veins. The procedure takes place in an office setting and usually lasts no more than 20 minutes. Since sclerotherapy does not completely cure facial spider veins, many patients will need to be retreated every couple of years.

• Foam Sclerotherapy

This procedure uses more of a frothy mixture in the injection process. Gas combines with the liquid to make the solutions more effective. Foam sclerotherapy is better at displacing the blood. It also reaches more of the skin’s surface area and is less likely to cause a breakdown of the skin.

• Laser Treatments

Lasers can also be effective when it comes to removing facial spider veins. However, laser treatment is often seen as less predictable than sclerotherapy. In some cases, a combination of both procedures will be used.

• VeinGogh

A relatively new procedure, VeinGogh is an Ohmic Thermolysis System that uses heat to sear away facial spider veins. A thin probe enters the vein and sends a concentrated form of heat to destroy and remove the vein. This method of treatment is especially effective on facial spider veins.

Methods of treatment vary from case to case. If you’re interested in having your facial spider veins removed, talk to your doctor about seeing a vascular surgeon in your area.