What Causes Spider Veins in the Feet?

Most women like to wear snazzy looking sandals, especially when it is hot. If a woman is plagued with spider veins on her feet, she may feel self-conscious and shove her feet into full coverage shoes. Spider veins, unfortunately, are at times unavoidable.

Expert Insight

• Spider veins, known in the medical community as telangectasiasa, appear on the skin's surface. These veins are colored and thread-like in appearance. Spider veins generally do not hurt as varicose veins do, but they can get worse and start to bleed, according to Painfulfoot.com.

Location

• Normally, spider veins are found in the legs but they can occur on the feet and face and other parts of the body.

Cause

• Spider veins and varicose veins are caused by the backup of blood. The leg veins have valves that serve as one-way flaps. If the valve weakens, blood can leak back into the vein and pool. This is what creates spider and varicose veins, which often pop up in the lower torso area, including the legs and feet, according to Womenshealth.gov.

Appearance

• Venous insufficiency is when the pooled blood makes the vein get bigger and the vein becomes varicose. Spider veins are much like varicose veins, but they aren't as big. Spider veins resemble spider webs, thus the name, or tree branches. They are usually red or blue in color and are closer to the skin's surface than are varicose veins, according to Womenshealth.gov. An individual may have a small or large patch of spider veins.

Other Contributing Factors

• Other factors that can result in spider veins include hormonal changes, exposure to the sun and genetics.

Considerations

• Wear socks that are specifically designed or custom made to give the wearer relief from discomfort being experienced due to spider or varicose veins. The socks won't make the veins go away or prevent them from getting worse but may improve the quality of life of the wearer. Spider veins can also be covered with a concealer, such as Dermablend, suggests Beauty.ivillage.com.