Two types of vein conditions can surface on your skin over time: varicose veins and spider veins. Despite what many may think, these two conditions — although both the result of venous issues — are incredibly different in appearance, treatment, and even health risks.

At Baywood Clinic, we are equipped to treat both of these vein types through the various procedures we offer. We offer professional sclerotherapy treatments in Toronto for spider veins and can reduce varicose veins with our EVLT treatment.

If you want to get your spider veins or varicose veins treated at a professional vein clinic, the best thing you can do is first understand the differences between the two and their relationship with each other.

Here’s everything you need to know about varicose veins and spider veins, from their differences to their similarities:

What They Are:

Varicose Veins: Varicose veins are blood vessels that have become enlarged. These veins tend to appear twisted and are easily visible through the skin.

Spider Veins: Spider veins are also blood vessels that surface on the skin, but are smaller in size and aren’t raised. These veins are actually significantly more common than varicose veins.

How Common:

According to OnHealth, together varicose and spider veins impact 50 percent of adults — yes, half the adult population.  That being said, spider veins are particularly common.

In fact, Christopher Hollingsworth, M.D., a vein surgeon at NYC Surgical Associates, told SELF that if you live long enough, you’ll definitely get spider veins. Varicose veins are slightly less common.

According to the Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery, varicose veins appear in up to 20 percent of the adult population. It is also important to note that although these veins are generally more common in women, they do occur in men.

Causes:

Although varicose veins and spider veins appear very different and surface on different parts of the body, they are both brought on by venous problems.

When the valves of your veins don’t work properly, they prevent proper blood flow through your body to your heart.  This can result in spider or varicose veins because over time, if blood doesn’t flow properly to your heart, it gets stuck in veins and builds pressure.

These veins can also be brought on by the following:

• Weight
• Genetics
• Standing or sitting for long periods of time
• Pregnancy
• Blog clots
• Birth Control
• Tight or restraining garments like girdles

Appearance:

Varicose Veins: These veins appear as large, twisted and raised. They are easy to see through the skin and often look swollen and bulbous.

Spider Veins: These veins are small blood vessels that appear as thin, red, purple and blue lines that resemble, as the name suggests, spider legs. Spider veins typically don’t exceed 1-2 millimetres in diameter.

Where:

Varicose Veins: Varicose veins are most common on the legs, especially your calf area — after all, a lot of pressure from weight and other factors gets put on this area of your body. These veins also tend to appear on the thigh, or near your ankle or feet.

Spider Veins: These can appear anywhere but tend to surface on legs — especially upper thighs — and can also occur on the face.

Health Impacts:

Varicose Veins: Varicose veins are not always just a cosmetic condition, as they commonly cause a lot of pain and discomfort. These veins can make your legs cramp, itch and throb — they can also make your legs feel incredibly heavy, which can make it hard to walk.

In addition to being uncomfortable, varicose veins can also pose as a health risk — if the vein becomes inflamed, it can form a blood clot.

Spider Veins: Unlike varicose veins, spider veins are almost exclusively a cosmetic condition. They may look a little unsightly, but ultimately don’t have any impacts on your health.

Treatment:

Varicose Veins: EVLT

If you live with varicose veins, day to day solutions include elevating your legs or wearing support hose. In terms of surgical procedures, however, varicose veins are commonly treated using EVLT (Endovenous Laser Treatment). This is a safe procedure that we use to treat varicose veins at our clinic.

The way EVLT works is that a small laser fibre is placed in the vein to seal it. The treatment has a 98% success rate and doesn’t only reduce the appearance of these veins, but also reduces associated symptoms like burning, itchiness and pain.

The best part? The procedure only takes about 45 minutes and doesn’t call for any recovery time!

Spider Veins: Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for spider veins. The minimally invasive procedure entails injecting the small veins with a solution to reduce their appearance.

A session typically takes about 30 minutes and doesn’t call for any recovery time. It’s a comfortable procedure that has proven to be effective. The treatment can also be used to treat smaller varicose veins.

Another way to treat spider veins is to use vascular lasers — this is yet another procedure our board-certified physicians on staff are equipped to perform.

Treat Your Spider & Varicose Veins at Baywood Clinic

Baywood Clinic has been providing a wide array of services since our inception in 2001. We are proud to offer sclerotherapy and EVLT for spider and varicose veins, alongside a variety of other procedures our certified physicians are equipped to perform.

We are a cosmetic and laser clinic in Toronto committed to restoring your confidence by helping you regain your natural glow. We pride ourselves in being cost-effective and boast a staff of professionals who have ample experience performing various procedures.

You can rest easy knowing that when you choose Baywood Clinic for your treatment, we use state-of-the-art lasers that are personally used by our board-certified physicians on staff. We are proud to offer Botox, laser hair removal, tattoo removal, and injections among other treatments.

Ready to say goodbye to unsightly veins? We’re ready to help you. If you are interested in undergoing treatment at our vein clinic, all you have to do is book a consultation, and we’ll answer whatever questions you may have.

We’re committed to helping you identify the right treatment for you to meet your unique needs and goals.