The Spider Veins are superficial capillary dilations of skin that appear as small red lesions, 2-5 mm diameter, with a more prominent central and peripheral ramifications.

This peculiar distribution, with a center similar to a “head”, and several radial extensions, similar to “the legs of a spider”, has led some authors in the past to denominate it like a vascular Spider, the term that continues being used in the present. The patient can easily recognize them: by pressing with the finger they disappear (we empty the capillaries of blood) and, when releasing, they return to their original red color (they are filled again). Many patients ask through the Internet and in the consultation what meaning they have and above all how to treat them through Laser Spider Vein removal.

Why do spider veins appear?

The cause is unknown. However, some possible triggers have been described below:

Hormonal changes (such as during pregnancy). We already talked in another blog of pyogenic granulomas, a type of vascular alteration that appears more frequently in pregnant women. During pregnancy, numerous spider veins may appear on any part of the skin. They are usually not treated since most disappear when giving birth or in the weeks or months thereafter.

- Liver diseases. Cirrhosis is perhaps the most common cause. A patient with numerous spider veins in the body who also has some other symptom, accompanied by alterations in the blood tests, we must rule out diseases in the liver.

- Genetic diseases. Although they are rare and hardly seen in the consultation always have to be taken into account. One of them is Rendu-Osler-Weber’s disease. These patients also have frequent episodes of nosebleed (epistaxis). It affects both the skin and mucous membranes and the symptoms usually begin at puberty.

- Idiopathic. As always in medicine, in most cases the cause is not known. This means idiopathic. In this group, the majority of the patients that we see in the consultation are framed.

- Traumatic. Sometimes a blow to the skin, a wound, a trauma, can leave a vascular spider as a sequel.

Are they benign? Should they be treated?

Vascular spiders are always benign: they do not degenerate into anything bad. The treatment of choice today is the laser spider vein removal. They are usually eliminated with few sessions (sometimes only one session). The treatment is done in consultation and without the need to put anesthesia as it is well tolerated. The treated area becomes darker for a week. During this time, if the patient wishes, he could even make up.

In the case of pregnant women, we have previously commented that they are not usually treated since most disappear when giving birth. During childhood, it is also relatively frequent to appear. In these cases, we usually wait up to a year before treating them since they also often disappear alone.

Always treat the spider veins located on the face or in visible areas such as the hands or the thorax. It is a simple treatment and with very good results in the short term. The laser spider vein removal is a revolutionary treatment since it leaves no mark or scar, unlike the treatment already obsolete with electro-scalpel with which we saw very unsightly scars in the past.