Thread & Spider Veins

Thread veins are broken blood vessels that occur when there is pressure on capillaries and finer veins which results in damage or expansion of the vein causing them to become permanently dilated.

Dilation is when the muscular walls of the vein vessels relax causing the blood vessel to widen, which is medically known as vasodilation.

When the blood vessel is dilated, there is an increase in blood flow throughout the vein. The increased blood flow causes the vein to become more prominent and it is then known as a thread or spider vein.

There are a number of reasons why thread veins, spider veins or broken blood vessels may occur. These include:

• Genetics – If broken blood vessels, spider veins or thread veins are common in your family then you are going to be more prone to developing them too.
• Age – As we become older, we come more at risk of developing broken blood vessels or thread veins as the collagen and elastin in the skin break down. This causes the skin to become thinner and veins to become more noticeable.
• Trauma – Injury or trauma to the skin can cause broken blood vessels/thread or spider veins to develop.
• Medical Conditions – Certain medical conditions such as rosacea and liver disease can make you more likely to develop broken blood vessels, thread/spider veins.
• Hormones – Hormonal changes such as puberty, menopause and pregnancy can cause spider veins to develop as body tries to adapt which is why women are often more susceptible to developing broken capillaries than men.

Thread veins can be successfully treated, book a consultation with one of our experts today to find out how we can help.

One of the inherited risk factors for varicose veins is a positive family history of varicose veins.

Occupations that involve lots of standing are also a risk factor for developing varicose veins.

Being pregnant and having a high BMI can also exacerbate varicose veins.

Thread veins can be idiopathic or secondary to hormonal changes. Thread veins on legs may be associated with venous reflux or varicose veins.

Sun worshipers may notice that they also develop spider veins because of damage to the collagen.

Facial spider veins or broken capillaries are commonly caused by genetics, They can also be caused by hormone changes, sun exposure and injuries to the area. For example if you have a cold, the pressure of blowing your nose can cause an injury and that can result in the vein bursting resulting into spider veins.

To find out more about what may be causing your veins click here to make an appointment to see one of our specialists.

Best treatment for facial veins is our Cutera CoolGlide or Intense Pulse Light (IPL) treatments. Both are minimally invasive and don’t require a huge downtime.

In some cases, thread veins are unavoidable especially if you are genetically prone to them.

For others, we would recommend to wear SPF50 daily and try to stay out of the sun. Try to also avoid too much pressure on the face, hard blowing of the nose, leaning and pressure to the cheeks.

Best treatment for thread veins on the face is our Cutera CoolGlide or Intense Pulse Light (IPL) treatments. Both are minimally invasive and don’t require a huge downtime.

Thread veins around the ankle are most often associated with venous reflux which is a condition where the flow of blood through the veins is blocked.

To find out more information about what may be causing your thread veins click here to make a consultation to visit one of our vascular specialists.

Sclerotherapy treatment uses a chemical solution known as a sclerosing agent. This is injected at a number of points that run alongside the thread vein.

The sclerosing agent works to irritate the lining of the veins, which when combined with compression of the leg after treatment; causes the walls of the vein to collapse. Over time, the thread veins will then be absorbed by the body. Multiple treatments will be required to achieve the best results, but sclerotherapy can be very effective in reducing the appearance of most spider veins and some small varicose veins significantly.

In most cases sclerotherapy is performed with a concentrated saline solution however other chemical solutions or special foam may be used if the vein is larger such as a varicose vein.

Sclerotherapy is performed under local anaesthetic so you won’t feel any pain at all during the treatment.

If you are having your spider veins removed with CoolGlide laser vein treatment you may feel a slight stinging sensation as the pulses of light are delivered. However, you can opt to use a topical anaesthetic before we start the treatment to minimise discomfort.

Sclerotherapy takes between 5 and 30 minutes depending on the number of spider veins to be treated. A course of between 3 to 5 treatments is often required to achieve the desired results.

CoolGlide sessions last between 15 and 30 minutes, again depending on the area to be treated. A course of 3 treatments is recommended.

You will notice an improvement in the appearance of your spider veins after your first treatment session, however, a number of sessions may be needed before the veins are fully eliminated.

The results from a sclerotherapy or Cutera CoolGlide procedure will vary depending on the extent of veins that require treatment. It is important to understand that sclerotherapy or Cutera CoolGlide treatment may not be able to remove spider veins completely and it will not prevent new enlarged veins from developing in the future.

Patients should expect to see significant improvement for at least half of the veins treated and the rest may show partial improvement.

Overall sclereotherapy and Cutera CoolGlide treatments are a great option to safely and effectively reduce the overall appearance of thread veins.

The majority of side effects following Cutera CoolGlide and Scelerotherapy treatments are redness and swelling in the treated areas. Most side effects will reduce over 24-48 hours.

Common side effects of sclerotherapy include; bruising, stinging, swelling, skin discoloration, discomfort and raised red areas that appear around the injection sites.

Common side effects of Cutera CoolGlide treatment is; redness and swelling in the treated area.

More serious side effects include: allergic reaction to the sclerosing agent, ulceration of skin around the injection site, blood clot formation in the treated veins or mild inflammation that can cause discomfort around the injection site.

Your practitioner or surgeon will go through all the side effects associated with treatment both before and after your procedure. Should you have any worries following your treatment, we are on-hand 24 hours to take your call.

After you have had Sclerotherapy treatment for spider veins removal it is important to use compression stockings provided to promote proper healing. The compression stocking helps to prevent the veins from re-opening as well as stopping the blood from clotting within the collapsed vein.

Your surgeon or practitioner will provide you with a compression stocking if required and detail the length of time you should wear it for.

At The Private Clinic we tend not to perform any laser treatments on tanned skin. Ideally any sun exposure should be avoided when having laser treatments.

It is important to let your medical expert know If you have got a tan or if your skin has had a reaction to something as these can increase your risks of adverse side effects such as pigmentation changes.

Your laser specalists will be able to discuss this is more detail and analyse your skin at your consultation.

To find out more about booking a consultation at a clinic near you, contact us here.

At The Private Clinic, we offer some of the best vein treatments available including;

Sclerotherapy:

Sclerotherapy treatment involves using a small thin needle to inject the veins with a solution called ‘sclerosing agent’ which causes them to collapse and fade, improving the appearance as well as the associated symptoms. The full benefit can take up to 12 weeks to be seen. After that you will find that the veins often continue to improve for up to a year after the treatment. Depending on the number of thread veins on the legs, several sessions may be needed to get the required results, but usually three to five will be enough.

CoolGlide:

The CoolGlide Laser thread vein treatment can be used, especially in the case of smaller spider veins where a needle would not be appropriate. Laser spider vein removal treatment involves directing intense light directly at the veins. This causes the blood within them to coagulate and the blood is then diverted to veins deeper below the surface of the skin where it should be.

How long will the results last?

Once the veins have been removed, they are gone. However, clients should bear in mind that this does not mean new ones won’t develop. Hormonal changes, pregnancy, weight gain and occupations that involve long periods on your feet can all be contributing factors to developing new thread veins.

Thread vein removal costs for Legs

• Cutera CoolGlide laser thread veins treatment: From £549
• Sclerotherapy/Microsclerotherapy: from £550

Thread Vein Removal costs for face & eyes

• Cutera CoolGlide laser thread vein removal for the face: From £309
• Cutera CoolGlide laser thread vein removal for under the eyes: From £750
• Regenlite / IPL laser thread vein removal for the face: From £200

Find out more about facial thread vein treatment.

Find out more about under eye thread vein treatment.

If your thread veins are more serious you might be deemed unsuitable for thread vein removal by liquid sclerotherapy or cutera coolglide and instead referred to a Vascular surgeon for varicose vein treatment.

Our vascular surgeons can perform:

• Foam Sclerotherapy: from £997
• EVLA: from £2750
• VenaSeal: from £3260
• Phlebectomy: from £1397

If you are having a consultation with a vascular surgeon this will cost £200 but this includes a free ultrasound scan of your legs (usually priced between £350 and £450 at most clinics and private hospitals).

Find out more about Varicose Vein treatment.

Spider veins and varicose veins are not the same and treatments for both will be different.

Spider veins or thread veins are small veins that are blue or red in colour. They appear just beneath the surface of the skin often in a web-like pattern or as singular lines.

Varicose veins often have a twisted cord-like appearance and although they sit deeper than thread veins, they often cause the skin to raise where they appear. Varicose veins can be flesh-coloured or blue and often cause pain and cramping in the legs

To find out more about varicose veins click here.

If you are unsure of which type of vein you have and what treatment would be suitable, make an appointment with one of our specalised vascular surgeons here.

The Private Clinic has clinics nationwide so we are sure to have a thread vein treatment clinic located near you although treatment options will vary from clinic to clinic.

Is there a thread vein treatment clinic near me?

Where can I get thread vein treatment in London?

London – 98 Harley Street, W1G7HZ

Where can I get thread vein treatment in Manchester?

Manchester –  25 St John Street, M3 4DT

Where can I get thread vein treatment in Birmingham?

Birmingham – 88 Hagley Road, B16 8LU – West Midlands

Where can I get thread vein treatment in Leeds?

Leeds – 45 Park Square North, LS1 2NP – Yorkshire

Where can I get thread vein treatment in Northampton?

Northampton – 82 Billing Road, NN1 5DF – East Midlands

To find out more about booking a consultation at a clinic near you, contact us here.

Thread veins on the legs may be associated with venous reflux or varicose veins.

When we see patients for treatment for leg veins, we usually advise that they have a duplex ultrasound scan to make sure there are no underlying venous issues or varicose veins that would require treatment first.

Thread veins on the legs are caused by broken blood vessels. The blood vessels become dilated causing them to widen and the blood flow increases. As the blood flow increases, the veins become more prominent and appear as visible thread or spider veins on the legs.

A number of things can cause thread veins on the legs including:

• Hormones
• Medical Conditions
• Genetics
• Age
• Trauma

If you are concerned about thread veins on your legs, book a consultation to see how we can help.