Spider veins, the smaller versions of Varicose veins, are clusters of twisted blood vessels that are visible through our skin. They appear almost anywhere but mostly on the face and legs ranging from colors red, blue and purple. However, in contrast to Varicose veins, Spider veins have this distinct spiderweb pattern. With its striking colors and shape, Spider veins are usually unappreciated and unwanted. As such, many people look to have these removed so as to provide a more aesthetically pleasing skin appearance.
However, there is still yet to know about Spider veins as there is no exact information how and why they appear and grow under our skins. While there is ongoing research and data collection, experts and doctors have narrowed down several possibilities that cause Spider veins to randomly appear under our skin. Here are 5 possible reasons why there are Spider veins:
- Age
Studies show that age can play a role in the appearance of Spider veins. This is because as we grow older, our immune system slowly gets weaker and our overall health declines. As a consequence, the valves in our veins also get weaker and become defective which allows the backflow of blood within our veins. The pooling of blood then increases pressure within the vein and the blood vessel wall weakens, prompting the veins to twist and develop a weblike pattern.
- Pregnancy
Women tend to get more Spider veins appearances than men especially during their pregnancy. The growth and increase of weight from pregnancy increases pressure on the leg veins which causes the veins to break away and form the spider web patterns. In addition to that, the weight of the fetus also increases the pressure on the leg veins, increasing the chances of having spider veins in the legs. Notably, after the pregnancy, the spider veins fade away but some become permanent.
- Obesity
Since weight from pregnancy increases the pressure on the leg veins, naturally overall increase in weight, specifically obesity, leads to spider veins. People who would weigh more than what their legs can take will most likely suffer from spider veins since the added pressure on the leg veins can lead to the breaking of leg veins.
- Sun Damage
While sunlight is naturally good for us, too much of it can also cause damage to our skin and overall health. This is true even to our veins, especially those ultraviolet light. These ultraviolet light not only can damage our skin but also can get through and subsequently, it can cause damage in our blood vessels. Sustaining too much damage in the veins causes it to break apart and form dilated patterns. This scenario is most likely to happen in our faces.
- Prolonged Standing / Sitting
A possible cause of Spider veins is one that stems from prolonged standing and sitting. This naturally occurs mainly in the legs because prolonged standing and sitting would require a lot of work and pressure from the veins, making them double their effort in pumping blood back to the heart for several hours. This process makes the leg veins reach their limit and damage themselves, ultimately breaking away to form the spider veins.
