Spider veins appear as very thin purple or red lines just under the skin and can either branch out like the branches of a tree or resemble the web of a spider, that is why the name spider veins. They can appear anywhere on the body but are more commonly found on the legs and the face. On the legs they appear in the area between the ankles and the knee joint or on the thighs. They may be a dull pain associated with spider veins and they may just cover a small area of the skin or may extend to a large area of the body. They remain visible under the skin and can appear quite annoying in fair skinned people.

The reason for spider veins appearing is not completely known but what is known about spider veins is that they run in families, so they can be hereditary. No internal factors have been associated to causing spider veins. They differ from varicose veins in that they are thin lines of blue under the skin and in varicose veins the veins swell and appear quite visibly pushing up under the skin. Spider veins on the face can be because of sun exposure but one cannot pinpoint the reason for them. Spider veins appear more in women then in men and the female hormones may be playing a part in their formation. But no one has so far pinned down the cause of spider veins. Spider veins cannot be prevented as one does not know when they will appear and is one susceptible to getting them. They appear during mid life and may become more pronounced and visible during old age. Spider veins appear when the normal blood flow in the veins is impaired and they take an alternate path.

Spider veins remained untreated for quite sometime and it is injections and laser treatment that one may have to get to treat spider veins. The method of injecting a solution to shut down the vein has been used from the 1930s in which a very fine needle is used to inject a special solution directly into the vein. More then one injection will be required to clear spider veins and depending on the condition and extent this can be a lengthy procedure. Laser treatment and intense pulsed light have been used successfully for spider veins that are on the face. These treatments can be used on all skin types and are quite safe.

In case one goes for the injection treatment there can be some side effects like swelling of the ankles, muscle cramps, a hive like reaction at the site of the injection and a stinging feeling which usually lasts for just 10 to 15 minutes after the injection has been given. Temporary bruises or a reaction to the solution may also occur.

There is no 100% surety that the spider veins will not reappear, so there is as such no permanent cure and the cure by injections or lasers can be quite costly. So only if the spider veins are too prominent and spread over a large area should one go for getting them removed, if not then one should just ignore them and not worry about them. They are not painful and one may get an urge to scratch them occasionally so let them be. Only if they are causing any other physical effects like fever, blood pressure, etc should one get them injected or any other therapy done on them. What is important to remember also is that health insurance companies may not pay for their treatment. So do first consult a dermatologist about the spider veins and get their opinion before moving on getting them removed.