According to the Advanced Vein Center website, about 70 percent of adult women develop spider veins sometime in their life. Forty-one percent of women will have abnormal leg veins by the time they are in their 50s. It is important that women care for their health to avoid developing serious spider veins.
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Wearing high-heeled shoes can cause spider veins over time.
Identification
Spider veins, known as varicose veins, are most visible on a woman's legs as thin, scraggly lines that are dark red or purplish. They may appear on the lower legs but also can show up on the upper-thigh area as well.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy can cause hormones to rise, increasing the blood that moves through a woman's veins. Overworked veins and carrying around the weight of a growing baby can cause vein valves to weaken.
Thinning Skin
A woman's blood vessels can lose elasticity, and her skin can begin to thin. Varicose veins will push the thinner skin outward and become more visible.
Weight Gain
If a woman gains a lot of weight, it can put extra pressure in the circulatory system within the legs. The added weight makes it harder for the blood to get to the veins, causing them to swell so that the blood can push through.
Prevention
Women should eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise to prevent her from obesity and getting spider veins. She should also avoid standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
Treatment
Sclerotherapy is one type of treatment in which women get injections of sodium chloride directly into the varicose vein. Sodium chloride causes the vein to swell and stick together, allowing the blood to clot and turning the vein into scar tissue. Laser treatments are available for more serious varicose veins.
