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Spider Veins Vs Varicose Veins

what's the diff betw spider vein and varicose veins? What treatments are availalbe to get rid of them? 

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Soider veins and Varicose Veins - What is the Difference?



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Spider Veins vs Varicose Veins--Size matters, among other things

That's a great question.  There are several differences that I have summarized below:

Spider veins:  usually much smaller in size, up to 1 mm in size.  They are typically purple to purple-red in color and typically asymptomatic.  They are best treated with sclerotherapy, very rarely is laser therapy indicated.

Varicose veins:  these are larger, blue, bulging veins, usually several mm in diameter.  They can be symptomatic and cause a feeling of leg "heaviness", pain, itching, swelling, and even pigmentation of the skin if long standing vein disease is present.  These can be addressed with foam sclerotherapy, but ultrasound evaluation of the venous system is usually advised prior to treatment.  If varicose veins are related to larger tributary veins in the leg, closure of larger veins using endovenous laser ablation may be necessary.

Melanie D. Palm, MD
San Diego Dermatologic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 15 reviews

Differences between varicose and spider veins

There are a several key differences between varicose and spider veins.

  • Spider veins are smaller, usually less than 1 mm in diameter. Varicose veins are larger.
  • Spider veins are superficial in nature (surface), whereas varicose veins usually involve the major veins of the legs.
  • Spider veins are flat, varicose veins (when at the surface) are bumpy or bubbly looking.
  • Varicose veins do not function properly. Blood pools in the legs because the valves inside the varicose veins do not prevent backflow (blood moving in the wrong direction).

Harold J. Kaplan, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 6 reviews
