For many of us it’s confusing… and for good reason! We go our whole lives without spider veins, then they just start appearing out of no where! So what causes these nasty things? Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common known causes.

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.