Causes, symptoms and thread vein removal basics

Before discussing thread vein removal it is important to understand the basics about thread vein causes and symptoms.

There are a large number of thin blood vessels located under the skin. Some of these are shown through the skin surface and they are often called superficial veins. These superficial veins may appear as an individual red blue blood vessel or as spider web or tree with the branches.

In some cases, the blood vessels can rupture in and under the skin and sometimes a spider-like bluish pattern is formed on the skin. These broken capillaries are often called spider veins or thread veins.

Therad veins occur on the legs, face and other body parts. The most common areas are cheeks, nose, thighs, calves and ankles.

The difference between visible blood vessels and varicose veins

There are larger blood vessels under the skin that supply the smaller superficial blood vessels with blood. These are called veins and arteries. They can also be visible on the skin or appear as bulging tortuous veins on the skin surface. Such changes are called varicose veins.

Unlike varicose veins, thread veins and broken capillaries are very small and tiny blood vessel and the size is normally between 0,1-2 mm. They are completely harmless and might appear to be a cosmetic issue. However, spider veins can be quite disturbing, which is the main reason why many choose to remove them.

The good news for those who find their visible blood vessels disturbing is that there are a large number of different methods to simply and effectively remove them.

The cause of thread veins is unclear

Everyone has blood vessels in the skin, in most cases, they are so thin that they are not visible. It is when the blood vessels expand or burst, they become visible and can therefore cause great displeasure.

The smallest therad veins that are not clearly visible and very thin can sometimes give the appearance of diffuse red lines or red flushing on the skin. The slightly larger blood vessels are more bluish and appear often as clear spider web pattern.

Although the exact cause of therad veins is unclear, but it is known that pregnancy, genetics, sun exposure, hormonal shifts, weight gain and the skin disease rosacea are major contributing factors.

In some cases, superficial therad veins on the legs can be a symptom of an underlying varicose veins, for this reason, it is essential to perform ultrasound of the major trunk veins.

The four different thread vein removal options

Since therad veins and visible blood vessels present a primarily cosmetic problem, they are never treated by the national health service. This means that anyone who wants thread vein removal may turn to private clinic and pay privately for it. It is important to be well informed, before making any decisions and in order to choose the right thread vein treatment.

There are basically four different therad vein removal options. These are injections, laser therapy, electrolysis or light therapy (IPL). All four techniques are based on shutting down the blood vessels so the insufficient veins become inactive and eventually fades away.

Depending on what type of vein problem you suffer from and where it is located, there are different treatment options for therad vein removal. On the following pages you will learn more about it and how to choose a treatment that is suitable for you.