Spider veins occur when tiny veins congregate below the surface of the skin, causing red, blue or purple discolorations. Spider veins get their name from the shape of the discolorations which often look like tree branches or spider webs with their short jagged lines.   

 
Spider veins are most common on the thighs, ankles and calves, and are more common in women than men. Some new creams have shown some promise for treating existing spider veins & restoring surrounding areas.
 

Or Blue light therapy is another new way for your doctor to remove spider veins, generalized redness on your skin and broken capillaries. The tiny capillaries and any colored material on the surface of the skin is heated and the colors are absorbed or evaporated.
 

Vacumed - New Device for treating varicose veins

November 2007 - Technology developed by NASA for astronauts was taken to Oxfordshire to help people suffering from circulation problems in their legs. The equipment was originally designed to help people maintain the blood supply to their lower extremities during periods of weightlessness in space.
 
A course of 10-20 sessions normally costs £450. It's estimated that approximately 90 per cent of the UK's population will be affected by lower limb circulatory problems at some point in their lives.

Vacumed is a vacuum therapy where patients enter a cylindrical unit from the waist down. They are then exposed to an intermittent negative pressure, which feels like a gentle breeze on their legs, for 30 minutes.

Most people need two or three treatments a week.

The equipment costs £30,000 and is being used in 46 countries. Its been tested by Nasa and the German Space Agency.
   
Over The Counter Creams For Spider Veins
 

Creams with vitamin K have long been marketed as a solution for reducing the appearance of spider veins  and bruises on legs without surgery. Unfortunately, creams that contain vitamin K don't necessarily work as well as claimed. One new cream that does show some promise is Avon's Anew Spider Vein Therapy which is for treating existing spider veins & restoring surrounding areas. After 7 days the color of spider veins starts to fade and after 14 days the spider veins are less pronounced. Over time, women have showed a 50% reduction in the appearance of spider veins. Its also formulated with a UV SPF 15 protection to help prevent future spider veins causes by sun damage.
  
Sclerotherapy Treatment for Spider Veins
 

They may make you feel self-conscious, but they are harmless, and any treatment usually is done for cosmetic reasons only. In some people, support stockings may decrease the size of existing spider veins and help to prevent new ones. The two most common cosmetic treatments for spider veins are sclerotherapy and laser treatment:
 

Sclerotherapy may require multiple treatments. It involves having a salt solution injected directly into the affected area, causing the veins to collapse. Sclerotherapy can enhance your appearance and your self confidence, but it's unrealistic to believe that every affected vein will disappear completely as a result of treatment. After each sclerotherapy session, the veins will appear lighter. Two or more sessions are usually required to achieve optimal results.
 

A typical sclerotherapy session is relatively quick, lasting only about 15 to 45 minutes. You will be asked to lie down on the examination table and the skin over your spider veins will be cleaned with an antiseptic solution. Using one hand to stretch the skin taut, your doctor or nurse will begin injecting the sclerosing agent into the affected veins. Bright, indirect light and magnification help ensure that the process is completed with maximum precision.
 

Approximately one injection is administered for every inch of spider vein so there can be anywhere from five to forty injections per treatment session. A cotton ball and compression tape is applied to each area of the leg as it is finished. During the procedure you will be asked to shift positions a few times. You will feel small needle sticks and possibly a mild burning sensation. However, the needle used is very thin and the sclerosing solution is mild so that pain is usually minimal.
 

You should also be aware that the procedure treats only those veins that are currently visible. It does nothing to permanently alter the venous system or prevent new veins from surfacing in the future. Serious medical complications from sclerotherapy are extremely rare when the procedure is performed by a qualified practitioner, however they can occur. Risks include the formation of blood clots in the veins, severe inflammation, adverse allergic reactions to the sclerosing solution and skin injury that could leave a small but permanent scar. A common complication is pigmentation irregularity of brownish splotches on the affected skin that may take months to fade.
 

Laser Treatments for Spider Veins
 

Laser removal is usually performed in a doctor's office, and a hospital stay is not necessary. Laser treatment directs pulses from a laser light to the spider veins, causing tiny blood clots to form. The blood vessels become blocked off and are eventually reabsorbed by the body. The amount of time for a session varies from fifteen minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the area being treated, as well as the severity of the problem. Usually, more than one treatment is needed to achieve the desired results.
 

The doctor or an assistant will cleanse your face to remove oils on the skin. Next, brief intense, emissions of light from the laser will be used to remove the superficial blood vessels at precisely controlled levels of penetration. You may feel a slight burning or stinging sensation as the laser penetrates your skin. However, pain is minimal and no anaesthesia is required. Many patients liken the feeling to a rubber band snapping on the skin. 
 

You may undergo an initial calibration session, where several settings of the laser are tried on very small portions of the skin. In this case, you'll return a few days to a week later to determine which setting worked best for you. The optimal setting will then be used for your first full session. As the laser works, you may hear it zapping, and smell smoke. Afterward, the treated area will be covered with an antibiotic ointment to eliminate any surface bacteria.
 

There is usually some redness and swelling of the treated area, which should disappear within a few days. Generally, the veins will turn a purple color that resembles a small bruise, and then gradually fade within 5-10 days. Ice packs are usually recommended to reduce the swelling or frozen aloe vera gel is also commonly used.
 

Blue Light Therapy
 

Blue light therapy was developed by Dr. Simon Ourian M.D. and Dr Bob Ourian M.D. to treat a variety of conditions including spider veins and rosacea. If you want a new way to remove spider veins, generalized redness on your skin and broken capillaries, this may be the right treatment for you.
 

It works by applying a photosensitive gel to the skin. A few minutes later a series of intense light is emitted over the entire face. This special light, which is different than laser treatments, emits light over many wavelengths allowing the light to penetrate to all the levels of the skin where abnormal easily dilated vessels can be found. The tiny capillaries and any colored material on the surface of the skin is heated and the colors are absorbed or evaporated. The energy of the light creates micro pores in the capillaries causing them to shrink. 

This process is repeated in 3 to 4 week intervals and are considered very safe. However a transient pigmentation change, swelling, and discomfort in the treated area may be expected. A thorough evaluation by the treating physician is necessary to ensure optimal results.

The level of discomfort is different for everyone and varies by the location and surface area to be treated. Some people won't require pain medication and relate the discomfort as comparable to a sunburn. Others go for a topical or more extensive anesthetic.

Fotopeel and Coolaser may cause the skin to became red or pink with mild to moderate discomfort for a few days following the procedure.
 

About Spider Veins
 

Faulty veins can lead to a condition of venous insufficiency, which can result in the appearance of enlarged small surface veins (venules) called spider veins. Most spider veins appear to have a diameter of 1 millimeter or less.

Sometimes a cluster of spider veins may appear as a red or purple patch called blushing or matting (telangiectatic matting) , that are often mistaken for bruises. Unlike bruises, however, spider vein mattings do not fade. Another form of spider veins, called an ankle flare is a cluster of spider veins, usually associated with varicose veins, that is located on the inner ankle.

Most spider veins have no symptoms and are usually only considered a cosmetic problem. Some cases of spider veins - especially those of that develop from deeper "reticular" or feeder veins, however, come with a burning sensation or a dull, throbbing pain.

Other types of problematic veins that can appear similar to spider veins include:
 

Telangiectasias, which are dilated capillaries close to the skin, and tend to be more noticeable on the face, whereas spider veins more commonly occur on the legs and feet. Sometimes, the terms spider veins and telangiectasias are used interchangeably.

Hemangiomas and angiomas, which are made up of very small arteries called arterioles.
 

If you decide on cosmetic treatment for your spider veins, you can expect a 50% to 90% improvement. You may need several treatment sessions to achieve the desired result. After treatment, a slight discoloration of the skin may remain for weeks or even as long as a year before fading. In many cases, spider veins disappear entirely, but they can return.

What causes spider veins?

Their cause isn't completely understood in every case, however spider veins are usually caused by similar factors that cause varicose veins. Any condition or activity that puts pressure on leg veins can contribute to their development including:
 

Genetics - Most women with spider veins have mothers and/or female relatives with this vein condition. Weak vein walls and valves, as well as shortage of vein valves, seem to be inherited characteristics, and may play a role in determining who develops spider veins and at what age

Pregnancy - during pregnancy and to a lesser degree also during periods, fluctuations in the female sex hormone (especially estrogen and progesterone), cause softening of the vein walls and valves. This makes women's veins more prone to stretching and enlargement with increased pressure. Some women see spider veins that develop during their pregnancies and persist after their baby is born. Other see that their veins disappear after the baby is born, only to reappear later in life.
 

Prolonged standing and sitting cause a great amount of pressure to develop in the leg veins. In both conditions, the calf muscles are inactive and therefore cannot help push the venous blood to return to the heart. This causes blood to pool in the veins, thus resulting in increased pressure on the vein walls.
 

Injury. In some people, spider veins appear after injury or trauma to the vein, such as after a broken ankle, surgery, car accident, or sports injury.

Alcohol and spicy food consumption, as well as stress, may play a role in causing facial spider veins.

Rosacea is a condition marked by numerous red spider veins in the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin.

Chronic sun exposure can cause spider veins, as well as other forms of skin damage such as wrinkles, freckles, moles, and skin cancer.