Q: What is spider vein cream and does it work?

A: Spider vein cream is the term used to describe any of the numerous topical creams, lotions, and ointments on the market which are formulated to help spider veins.

How It Works
Although there are many different brands and formulations out there, they tend to all have one thing in common – their active ingredient is vitamin K. This vitamin is said to help promote clotting in your circulatory system (not the bad kind, but the normal, healthy kind). The typical concentration of vitamin K found in these products is usually 5% or less.

When it comes to spider veins, it is said that this vitamin helps to the problem capillaries by restricting the blood flow and therefore causing them to diminish in appearance and possibly fade away completely.

Using It
Typically, the treatment takes place over several weeks and involves rubbing the cream onto the problem area on a daily basis (the exact number of applications varies by product). After the course of the treatment, many people experience any improvement.

Why People Like It
One of the main reasons people resort to this method is because it is a cost effective option. Before they spend more money on professional treatments, many try an OTC cream out first to see if that can help. Many also like the idea that it is considered a natural solution since it utilizes vitamin K and other holistic ingredients to reportedly help repair spider veins on legs, face, or other areas.

Why People Don’t Like It
Of course like everything, there are some who do not prefer this treatment. They say the treatment takes too long or they say it does not give dramatic enough results for some. Personally I feel the time frame is very reasonable, but I understand why some complain about the results. The truth of the matter is that with severe cases, spider vein cream is probably not going to do the job. If that’s the case you should speak with your physician about other spider vein removal treatments.

Why is laser treatment for spider veins a better choice?
Well obviously you will need to ask your doctor, because there’s we all have different needs, so there’s no universal answer. But as a consumer, I will discuss some of the benefits I think laser treatment offers.

First of all, laser is a direct treatment for the problem veins. Compare this to sclerotherapy, which involves the doctor injecting a solution into your veins. Although that technique has been used now for over 150 years, there have been recent concerns that have come up; there has been evidence that shows the solution travels to other areas of the body too, like the brain and heart. Although that technique is currently considered to be safe, it frightens me. After all, if that solution is powerful enough to cause spider veins to dissolve away, imagine what that stuff does to our brain tissue or other body parts for that matter? I just recently discovered this information and now I am not exactly as enthusiastic about the injection method. This is why I like the idea of using laser treatment.

Does insurance cover spider vein laser treatment?
Generally speaking, because it’s considered a cosmetic condition, they will not pay for it. That being said, when there are severe cases, your doctor may be able to get it covered. From what I understand is if there is a danger of the blockage in the spider veins spreading, then it is considered a possible hazard to your health. Also the larger varicose veins are easier to get covered. But even if you can’t get it covered, isn’t it worth spending a little money to get rid of your spider veins on legs?

This is the worst location to get them because they are smack dab on the center of our faces! After doing quite a bit of research I found out there are ways to remove them.

Because our noses are so fragile and even the nostrils are made out of hard cartilage, the usual removal method of using a syringe to shoot a dissolving solution into these veins is very hard to do, if not impossible.

Thankfully we now have laser spider vein removal. It’s considered by many to be the best removal method when they’re on the nose.

Most of the time when people have spider veins they occur on the legs and thighs. I don’t know the exact percentages but it seems they’re the vast majority of cases. I’m not trying to trivialize those areas, but at least if you have them there you can cover them up with long pants and other clothing until you get treatment. When they’re on your nose, we have no choice but to show them to the world.

Causes of Spider Veins On Nose
When they’re on the body, the cause is usually genetics or obesity. But when they’re on the face and nose there are other circumstances which can cause them too.

In my experience it was trauma which caused their formation. Heavy exposure to sun on the nose over time can contribute to their formation. Rosacea is a condition which seems to coincide with their occurrence on the face. Last but not least, people with allergies that are severe and frequently occurring can put extra stress on the delicate blood capillaries in the nose which cause spider veins.

Trauma
I want to take a minute to talk about trauma causing spider veins on nose, because that is what happened to me. Our noses are very fragile. Did you know it only takes seven pounds of pressure to break it? Considering the length of our lifetimes, it’s a miracle they’re still in one piece after all that they endure over the years!

So not only do we endure injuries, but even the surgery needed to correct the problems can cause spider veins in itself! This is what happened to me when I got rhinoplasty to correct my breathing problems. If you’re considering doing the same to correct a deformity, I would highly recommend you go with the “closed” approach instead. The “open” approach I had done was very traumatic on the skin and often times leads to venous injuries to the area.

Conclusion
So what should you do next? Armed with this information, you now know what causes these things and which method is best for their removal when they are on the nose. Fortunately, laser spider vein removal is not only effective, but it’s also affordable.

From my knowledge, creams aren’t that effective when they’re on the face. Injections are the oldest treatment method out there and it definitely works, but not so well for facial areas, especially if they’re on the nose. Injecting that corrosive chemical into your delicate nasal tissue? I’ll pass!

In my opinion, laser spider vein laser treatment is definitely the way to go. It’s considered to be safe and work well at the same time. The other great part about going with a spider vein laser is that there are no injections and a treatment can be performed in as little as twenty minutes.

But wherever you have these problem veins, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to educate yourself a little about them. So let’s talk a little bit about what they are and why they form , as well as details about treating them with lasers.

Why Do Spider Veins Form?
In a nutshell, your capillaries are designed to operate like a one way street when they are carrying rich oxygenated blood to your cells. Inside are tiny valves to move this blood along. However when they aren’t working right, the blood can clog up and pool in area.

With spider veins, this is what happens. The valves inside the capillaries right below the skin aren’t operating the way they should be. This results in blood moving slowly and pooling in these veins, which is why they are so dark in color.

My Spider Veins On Face
I am average weight and not that old so I was shocked to develop them on my face. In my situation they were the result of facial trauma. I had to have surgery on my nose to correct breathing problems from an accident.

The surgeon did what is know as an “open” procedure where he actually cuts the middle part of the nose (that separates our nostrils) and then used an instrument to pull back nose up to my forehead while he operated on it for hours.

As you can imagine, even though he put it back together, this caused extreme trauma to the veins in the area. Afterwards I developed spider veins on my nose bridge. They were so embarrassing because they were so dark and red and stood out like a sore thumb.

How To Get Rid of Spider Veins On Face
Well before I talk more about lasers, I do want to say that I am in no way a doctor, nor have any medical background. So please talk to one in order to make your decision.

Laser spider vein therapy usually will involve anywhere from two to five different sessions done at different times. Each session typically only takes around 20 minutes or less. A special kind of laser is used which is offered by some dermatologists and other so called “spas” for skin which specialize in treating problems like this.

The sooner you get laser for spider veins, the sooner you can get rid of those ugly veins.

When used topically, vitamin K can help strengthen the damaged walls of your capillaries and veins below the skin’s surface. This is why it’s also used to treat bruising and redness.

It’s considered to be a good cost-effective alternative to the expensive treatments offered at doctors offices. Almost every spider vein cream and varicose vein cream uses vitamin K as a main ingredient.

What Is Vitamin K?
Many people aren’t very familiar with this nutrient since it’s not commonly found in multi-vitamins and other supplements. In humans, it is naturally made by a bacteria which is found in our large intestines. Rarely do adults whom are healthy ever have a deficiency. However, there are some medications which can cause a deficiency, including certain antibiotics.

There are a number of benefits associated with vitamin K. As noted above, it is known to help with circulation, such as hardening of your arteries. Because of this benefit, not only can it help spider veins, but it can be beneficial for your heart, too. There are also studies which link it with helping to maintain bone density also. However I am not a medical professional, so you should speak to a doctor if you are looking for advice about this nutrient.

What Are Natural Sources of Vitamin K?
This nutrient can be found in a number of different vegetables, mainly those which are green and leafy, such as brussels sprouts. Most diets get an adequate amount of this nutrient naturally which is why it’s not typically included in supplements.

Vitamin K Spider Veins
Although nearly everyone gets enough in their diet, it’s use in spider vein creams is different. How it works is that it is applied directly to the unsightly veins in the form of a cream. This allows higher amounts to go straight to the problem area. It is most commonly used for spider veins on legs, but many also use it for those on the nose and face too.

How It Works
These products usually use a 5% concentration of vitamin K. It is said to work by causing the problem capillaries to clot and thus reducing the excess blood which goes through these blocked pathways. In turn, their appearance is diminished. Results are seen after 6 to 8 weeks.
It’s important to note that this is not a treatment for mid to varicose veins. When that is the circumstance, or faster results are desired, then professional treatment such as sclerotherapy therapy is usually what is used.

Spider Vein Therapy
Because these are considered specialty items, rarely if ever will you find these products at drugstores. Usually you have to buy vitamin K cream and spider vein cream through online sources.

Although the above products are the most cost effective option, you should talk with your medical professional before making a decision.

What Are Spider Veins?
To understand the difference, you first need to understand exactly what these really are. Spider veins are actually capillaries under the surface of the skin where blood is not flowing like it should. You see the veins which carry blood are supposed to carry it only in one direction.

But over time, these valves can weaken and not function properly. So instead of the blood moving along in one direction, it can clog up or slow down. This is what happens with spider veins. I’m not a doctor so I could be wrong, but from what I’ve read these usually are not dangerous because they only involve capillaries directly below the skin. So other than their appearance, there’s rarely cause for alarm.

What Are Varicose Veins?
These are very similar to spider veins in that their cause is the same. The difference is that varicose veins are bigger and can also pose a threat to your health. They are larger and can even be painful, sometimes resembling cords that are raised above the skin’s surface. They can cause swelling, aching, and even ulcers on the skin.

Not only are they disrupting the normal flow of blood to your leg, but they can trigger a blood clot. Besides impacting your leg, this is dangerous because the clot actually travel up the blood pathways in your leg all the way up to your lungs. They can also cause infections.  So varicose veins can harm your health and have the potential to even be lethal.

Getting Treatment
So now that you know the difference between spider veins and varicose veins, it’s important to check with your doctor to determine what you have. As mentioned I am not a physician and you can’t just do a self-diagnosis.  The good news is that whatever your case may be, there are now excellent options for spider vein removal and varicose vein treatment.

Genes
Usually you will see this plays a part in the other causes too. The reason being is that you are already have a predisposition to develop them, one of the other factors which might not normally affect other people can “trigger” their formation your body. Other than yelling at our mom and dad for giving us these genes, there’s nothing we can do about this factor.

Age
This one goes hand in hand with genes. If you already have a predisposition to develop them, often they won’t show until later on in life – usually in your late forties and up, but they can happen earlier. Just like anything on our body, the normal wear and tear over the years can weaken our blood vessels too. When these veins under the skin on our legs aren’t working properly, the blood may not circulate correctly. The result is spider veins on legs from the blood not moving properly and remaining stagnant in these veins.

Weight
Among the most common spider veins causes that we can control, this is probably the biggest. When we have extra pounds on our body, the blood vessels have to work harder. They are put through more and there is also more pressure on them from the extra fat tissue pressing against them. Over the years this can be a catalyst and lead to the formation of spider veins and eventually varicose veins, which are even bigger.

Sun
Again, this is one of those causes that often happens in part because you have a genetic predisposition. This is especially true if you have pale and sensitive skin. Those UV rays can wreck havoc on our skin; damaging it and the tissue immediately below its surface. This may lead to the formation of spider veins for some people.

Treatment
Whatever has been the cause of spider veins in your life, there is treatment available which is pretty darn good at removing them. The most common method is a procedure known as sclerotherapy therapy where a doctor injects a special substance directly into the varicose veins to dissolve them. The other popular method (especially for those whom don’t like needles) is spider vein laser treatment.