Relaxation of the vessel wall is the cause of thread veins

The reason for the development of thread veins is that there are abnormalities in the veins, usually in the back of the knees or in the face, on the cheeks and nose. These defects in the veins prevent blood from being completely pumped to the surface, but small amounts remain in the underlying veins. It is these small blood collections that appear bluish or purple through the skin and form so-called thread veins.

Thread veins or varicose veins

Thread veins, unlike varicose veins, are never dangerous and do not cause pain or physical discomfort to the person who has them. The reason why thread veins are examined and treated is purely cosmetic because many people find them ugly. Many people think that they cannot show themselves with bare legs because they are ashamed of the thread veins that are visible on their legs.

Thread veins are much more common than most people think. About 50 to 55 percent of all women have thread veins, in men this is slightly less - about 40 to 45 percent. More than half of all people over 50 have thread veins.

The main factor why someone develops thread veins is heredity. If the parents have thread veins, there is almost a 100 percent chance that the children will also have them. Thread veins cannot be prevented, but you can reduce the risk. The only thing you can change is the time when the thread veins first appear. However, certain factors in your lifestyle can also cause you to develop thread veins, even if you lack a hereditary factor. These factors include obesity – including the weight of a fetus during pregnancy, prolonged standing or sitting, and lack of physical activity. Certain hormones in birth control pills and the hormones associated with menopause can also influence the formation of thread veins.

Most people with thread veins see no reason to treat them because the thread veins are not dangerous and do not cause any discomfort to the person who has them. A large number of people find thread veins bothersome because they are perceived as unsightly and many of these people therefore choose to treat their thread veins.

Thread veins are easy to treat

Anyone who chooses to have their thread veins treated because they look unsightly can choose from a number of very accessible treatments. The most common methods of treating thread veins are sclerotherapy and laser treatment.

Sclerotherapy involves injecting a type of glue into the veins that are part of the thread veins. This glue closes the damaged veins, causing these veins to shrink and disappear. When the damaged veins shrink, the blood in them is also lost, making the veins no longer visible from the outside and the typical thread veins pattern disappears.

Laser treatment is often used for smaller areas of thread veins. The light from the laser causes the veins to shrink, the blood in the damaged veins disappears and, just like with sclerotherapy, the veins are no longer visible from the outside of the skin. The thread veins are gone.

You can visit the Vascular Care Clinic for the treatment of thread veins with sclerotherapy.

What can you do yourself to prevent thread veins?

There are a number of things you can do to slow the appearance of thread veins and reduce the size of the thread veins that do appear.

The measures to prevent the formation of thread veins are focused on the risk factors that influence their occurrence. These preventive measures are therefore aimed at reducing or eliminating the risk factors. What you can do is:

  • Prevent obesity or lose weight.
  • Avoid standing or sitting still for too long by taking breaks at work or try to exercise more during work, for example by walking around the office.
  • Exercise regularly to increase blood circulation in the veins, making it easier for blood to flow upwards.

However, these activities will not have any influence on whether or not you develop bone veins in the long term because it is hereditary. However, the measures can delay the development and reduce the size of the thread veins.

Summary – Facts about thread veins and treatment of thread veins

The most important thing about the topic of thread veins is to distinguish leg vessels from varicose veins. Thread veins are smaller and do not cause any problems, but can be perceived as unsightly and can be treated, just like varicose veins.

The treatments for thread veins are not invasive. A simple and quick procedure closes the damaged veins, which then shrink and disappear, making the thread veins no longer visible. The patient can leave the clinic in about an hour.

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