Spider veins, in medicine called telangiectasias, are an external manifestation of dilated vessels of the upper layer of the skin. They can appear on the face, especially on the wings of the nose, and on the legs. Most often, women have this problem, in most cases those who have already given birth. The appearance of spider veins in itself does not indicate the presence of any diseases dangerous to health. But, you must admit, such manifestations cannot be called decoration of appearance either, therefore people who encounter telangiectasias try to get rid of this cosmetic defect in every possible way.
What do the spider veins look like
Teleangiectasias can be venous, capillary or arterial. And depending on the external manifestation, they are divided into point, tree, linear and arachnid. Despite this classification, treatment for all types of spider veins is the same. Linear telangiectasias often appear on the nose, cheeks (reddish) and legs (red or blue). Spider-like vascular asterisks consist of many capillaries diverging in different directions from the central arteriole. They are usually red. Treelike telangiectasias can be blue or red and occur mainly on the lower extremities. In general, combinations of different types of spider veins can occur on the legs. Most often, linearly located linear telangiectasias are deployed on the inner thigh surface, and tree-shaped ones located on the outer circumference.
Spider veins: causes
As already mentioned, this phenomenon is more characteristic of women, but it can also occur in men in the presence of chronic venous insufficiency. Women develop telangiectasias due to hormonal disruptions in the body that occur as a result of previous or existing endocrine, gynecological pathologies, as well as abortions, menopause. Spider veins may appear during pregnancy, since at this time estrogens have a high concentration. But after childbirth (after 1-1.5 months), they disappear without a trace. Also, oral contraceptives can cause telangiectasias.
Treatment
Of course, you can use an ointment, cream, or something similar to cure vascular asterisks on your legs, but it is unlikely that you can achieve a lasting beneficial effect. The defect should be disposed of by methods such as:
- Electrocoagulation, which consists in cauterizing telangiectasias by a high-frequency current supplied through a thin electrode. The disadvantage of this method is that thermal damage occurs not only to the dilated vessels, but also to the surrounding healthy tissues, and this leads to scarring and the formation of areas of de- and hyperpigmentation.
- Compression phlebosclerosis (sclerotherapy). The technique consists in gluing the walls of blood vessels by introducing a special drug into their lumens. As a result, the gaps of the vessels are closed, and they are excluded from the bloodstream.
- Laser photocoagulation, which involves sealing the vascular lumens by exposure to a light laser beam.
- Ozone therapy consisting in the removal of telangiectasias by intravascular injection of a special mixture with a high ozone content.