Spider Veins Specialist

Spider veins are noticeable veins in your legs that appear blue, red, or purple. These veins sit just beneath your skin’s surface and occur when the valves of the vein are damaged or not working properly.

Healthy veins carry blood from your legs back to your heart. The valves inside the vein keep blood flowing in one direction. When not functioning correctly, damaged valves allow blood to leak backwards and pool in the vein. This causes the vein to bulge and appear on the surface of your skin. Damaged veins can enlarge significantly and become twisted and painful resulting in varicose veins.

Spider veins can develop anywhere on your body but are most common in the legs. This is because your blood must fight against gravity to make it back to the heart.

You may be at increased risk for developing spider veins if you have a family history of the condition. Other common risk factors for spider veins include:

• Age
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Hormone changes
• Extended periods of sitting or standing

Although men can also develop spider veins, you may also be more likely to get spider veins if you’re female.

Spider veins don’t pose serious health risks, but many people wish to treat them for cosmetic reasons.

Dr. Taghizadeh may also recommend treating spider veins if they become painful or itchy. He can diagnose spider veins during a visual exam of your legs and a review of your medical history.

To treat and prevent new spider veins, you can wear compression stockings that keep pressure on the veins in your lower legs to improve your blood circulation.

Dr. Taghizadeh can also destroy the damaged veins using a treatment known as sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy involves injections of a special chemical into the damaged vein that causes it to collapse. Over time, the vein shrinks, and blood reroutes to healthy veins nearby.

You may also be a candidate for VeinGogh therapy that uses heat energy to close off the spider vein and destroy it. Dr. Taghizadeh uses this advanced technology to treat veins from the surface of your skin without the need for incisions.

To find out which treatment is right for your spider veins, call the San Diego Cardiac, Vein & Laser Treatment Center nearest you or request an appointment online today.