Have you ever wondered why your hands start showing veins out of the blue? If so, you’re not alone.
For some, these visible veins in the hands might be an aesthetic problem, but they’re painful considering their varicose or spider veins.
So, people seek relief from these visible, sometimes painful veins. But are hand veins the same as varicose and spider veins? Don’t get confused.
This article will provide you with all the essential information about hand veins, varicose veins, and spider veins in the hands and their treatment. Keep reading to wave goodbye to discomfort and hello to healthier hands.
What are Hand Veins?
When your skin ages and loses its elasticity and fat, hand veins become more visible and bulge out of the skin.
The catch is that hand veins can affect younger adults too. Healthy people who exercise a lot and have no fat on them can also get them.
This is why hand veins are considered normal by doctors and vein specialists. It’s viewed as a more cosmetic problem than a medical one.
Today, vein treatment for hands is purely sought for cosmetic reasons. Also, when compared to women, men have more prominent veins in their hands than women.
Cause and Risk Factors of Hand Veins
Low body fat
In general, if you have less tissue covering the veins, it strongly indicates that your body fat percentage is low.
This is noticeable in areas where the skin is thin, such as your hands and arms. So, if you are an athlete or exercise regularly, you may have more prominent veins in your hands.
Age
Let’s not look at aging as something less graceful but as part of your life’s journey. Through the years, your skin will get thinner and lose its elasticity faster.
So, what does your skin do with all this newfound freedom? i.e., elasticity. Yes, it will reveal your inner anatomy, especially those trusty veins.
In addition, the natural aging process can affect the blood vessels themselves, causing them to become more fragile and prone to bulging.
Exercise
Physical activity can temporarily cause veins to bulge. Why does this happen?
When you exercise, naturally, your muscles contract and require more oxygen and nutrients. Thus, it leads to increased blood flow. This increased blood flow can cause veins to expand and become more visible. Once the exercise is completed, the veins return to their standard size.
Hot weather
In hot weather conditions, your body will try to dissipate heat by dilating blood vessels near your skin’s surface. This dilation allows for greater blood flow to the skin and helps heat exchange with the environment. So, in this case, your veins expand and become more prominent in response to the elevated temperature.
Genetics
Vein visibility can be strongly influenced by genetics. Some people may inherit a genetic predisposition for more prominent veins. This can be due to factors such as the size and positioning of their blood vessels, skin thickness, and overall body composition.
Varicose veins
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins resulting from weakened or damaged vein valves that allow blood to pool and cause the veins to bulge. And yes, your guess is right! Varicose veins are associated with the legs. But they can also develop in the hands. Though this is rare, varicose veins in hands can also be a reason for hand veins.
Phlebitis
Phlebitis is when a vein gets inflamed. This can occur due to infection, injury, or irritation from IV catheters. When a vein is inflamed due to this reason, it may turn red, swell, and hurt. This can make the vein stand out more.
Superficial Thrombophlebitis
It’s a condition where blood clots form in a superficial vein close to the skin’s surface, often causing inflammation and swelling. This condition can lead to the vein appearing more prominent due to the presence of the clot and associated inflammation.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
A blood clot deep in the arm veins can also cause a bulging hand vein.
Can Prominent Hand Veins Be a Sign of a Severe Problem?
In most cases, hand veins don’t pose a serious problem. But if they are associated with some common symptoms of varicose veins and spider veins, then it’s an issue.
Experts from the vein treatment center in Thousand Oaks highly recommend getting your hand veins checked by a vein specialist. They can do the diagnosis and treat it if it’s varicose or spider veins.
Are Hand Veins Varicose or Spider Veins?
As already mentioned, in most cases, bulging hand veins are normal and can be a cosmetic problem with their enlarged looks. But chances are that enlarged hand veins will occur due to a serious problem such as varicose or spider veins.
What are varicose veins and spider veins?
Varicose veins appear swollen and twisted and lie under the skin due to weak or damaged vein walls and valves. They predominantly appear on the legs, ankles, and feet. Sometimes they form in other body parts, including hands, and appear blue or purple.
Spider veins are similar to varicose veins. But they are smaller in size, found closer to the skin’s surface, and are often red or blue. These veins form when smaller venous structures like venules, capillaries, and arterioles get damaged. As the name suggests, these veins appear in clusters resembling a spider web.
Though they make an appearance on your legs, feet, and ankles, they can also appear on the hands, arms, face, and even around the groin. So spider veins in hands are also possible.
If you have any of the above symptoms of varicose or spider veins, consult experts from a vein treatment center.
Start your journey to a healthy vein by booking an appointment with the vein treatment center in Beverly Hills.
Treatment for Prominent Hand Veins
There are multiple reasons for hand veins. Once your doctor has diagnosed the right cause, proper treatment can be given.
In most cases, varicose vein treatment or cosmetics treatments are done to treat hand veins.
The treatment options include:
Sclerotherapy
One of the most common treatments to treat or improve the appearance of varicose and spider veins on the legs is sclerotherapy.
In this process, a medicine-filled needle is injected into the vein. This medicinal solution causes the vein to scar. The scarring forces blood to flow through healthier veins. Naturally, the collapsed veins will fade inside your body.
This treatment also treats symptoms caused by these conditions, such as swelling, aching, and burning. This procedure is not painful except for the minor stinging sensations when the needle is inserted into the vein.
Endovenous ablation therapy
Also called laser therapy, this procedure involves the closing of varicose veins and can treat hand veins. Here, endovenous refers to the procedure done inside the vein, whereas ablation refers to the doctor using amplified light or radio waves to damage and close off the vein.
Ambulatory phlebectomy
Again, this procedure is targeted at treating varicose veins. This procedure actively removes troublesome varicose veins near the skin’s surface. Small incisions on the skin can be easily removed without the need for stitches.
Vein stripping and ligation
Closing the vein that supplies blood to the targeted vein is called vein stripping and ligation. You will be under general anesthesia when the doctor makes an incision, ties off the vein, and removes it.
Did you notice that all these procedures involve the closing of the targeted vein? By doing so, the blood that runs through these veins is redirected.
Though hand veins or bulging veins aren’t a more serious condition, your doctor will offer a specific medical response.
If you have phlebitis, anti-inflammatory treatment, antibiotic therapy with warm compresses, and elevation of your arm, or both will be recommended by your doctor.
However, if you are diagnosed with thrombophlebitis, your doctor might not recommend prescription treatment. Because clots in veins near the skin surface are often naturally absorbed in less than two weeks,
If the swelling still persists, your doctor might recommend over-the-counter medicine (OTC) or nonprescription medicine to relieve it. Otherwise, this will be treated like phlebitis.
Usage of compression stockings:
One of the most conservative methods involves using compression stockings. When varicose veins cause discomfort or pain, these stockings, which are available in various styles including below-the-knee, above-the-knee, and pantyhose, can provide relief.
By exerting gentle pressure on the leg, they prevent blood from pooling in the veins and assist in reducing leg swelling.
Choosing the Right Vein Specialist for Vein Treatment for Hands:
Choosing the right vein treatment center and vein specialist is not child’s play. Consider the points given below before proceeding.
Does the doctor have the right credentials?
Remember, credentials matter. Your doctor should be board-certified in vascular medicine or a related field. You don’t appreciate an amateur poking around your veins?
The Center for Vein Wellness has board-certified experts in modern vein treatment options.
Verify their experience.
Check how many years they have been treating venous disease. More experience usually means better results.
Do you have burning questions? Ask them anyway!
Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the vein specialist. This is your health we are talking about. Ask about their treatment options, success rates, and recovery times. If they dodge your questions, they might not be the ones.
Check online reviews.
Skim through their website or online reviews for patient reviews and testimonials to get a better understanding of the doctor’s experience and reputation.
Consider their treatment approach.
Hand veins, varicose veins, and spider veins do not necessarily require surgery. There are multiple non-invasive or minimally invasive treatment options available to treat specific vein conditions.
Check if the doctor takes a personalized approach to treatment.
A cost check is also important.
Figure out the cost and whether your insurance covers it. No one likes surprise bills.
Location Matters
Think about where the doctor’s clinic is. If it’s a long drive, that might get old real quick. The Center for Vein Wellness is available in multiple locations, including Beverly Hills, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks.
Conclusion
Hand veins or bulging hand veins are not a serious medical indication for the majority of people. But as cliche as it may seem, 1% is not zero percent, isn’t it?
So, if you are concerned that it could be a symptom of severe issues like varicose or spider veins, consult the vein specialists at the top vein treatment center. If it isn’t a serious issue and you want them to be removed for cosmetic purposes, well and good. Your doctor will recommend the best procedure for you.
