Why Do I Have Spider Veins on My Face?

Few things are more frustrating than walking around with a cosmetic issue you can’t solve at home. Spider veins are notorious for being stubborn, and many feel their only hope is to cover up the flaws with makeup. 

But there’s a better way — and it starts with understanding why you have spider veins in the first place. 

Here, our team of specialists at CANJ Aesthetics in Oakland, New Jersey, offers an inside look at where spider veins come from and how we can help you get rid of them in no time flat. 

The why behind your spider veins

The primary cause of spider veins is faulty valves. Your veins are equipped with one-way valves that open and shut with each heartbeat to help blood return from your body back to your heart. 

When those valves weaken, your blood flow can become more sluggish, exerting abnormal amounts of pressure on your vascular walls that causes the affected veins to dilate and swell. The result? Unsightly spider veins criss-crossing your face. 

Spider veins can develop almost anywhere on your body, but they’re most frustrating when they show up in the most visible places, like your face. 

The most common culprits behind faulty valves and the resulting facial spider veins include:

• Pressure changes
• Sun damage
• Rosacea
• Aging
• Pregnancy
• Trauma
• Excessive alcohol use

Spider veins are rarely a health threat and don’t usually cause symptoms other than frustrating cosmetic ones. However, a few diseases and conditions are associated with spider veins, such as lupus, ataxia-telangiectasia, and port-wine stain.

What to do about your spider veins

While there’s usually no medical reason to remove spider veins, we understand that they can take a toll on your self-esteem — and that’s reason enough for us to step in and help. 

The best news is that we offer a variety of advanced treatments to remove your spider veins and restore your skin’s health and glow. 

When you arrive for your initial consultation, we thoroughly evaluate your skin and your medical history to determine where your spider veins came from. Then, based on your needs, we make a recommendation based on the following. 

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is a treatment where we inject a chemical agent into your affected veins to close them. Your body eventually processes and removes the collapsed veins and reroutes your bloodstream, leaving you with clear skin. 

Intense pulsed light (IPL) photofacial

IPL uses bright, scattered light to painlessly destroy and eliminate facial spider veins. 

Laser vein removal

We generally recommend laser vein removal for larger problem veins (think varicose veins), but if your spider veins are severe enough, you could be a candidate. With laser removal, we use an electrode with either laser energy or radiofrequency energy to cauterize the vein. 

How to prevent spider veins from coming back

Once you’ve gotten rid of your spider veins, the first thing on your mind is how to avoid them in the future. While we can’t guarantee you’ll never have to make another spider vein removal appointment again, you can do a few things to reduce your risk of their recurrence. 

If you want to avoid spider veins, you have to protect your skin and support the health of your veins. That usually means:

• Wearing sunscreen
• Keeping active
• Staying hydrating 
• Limiting your alcohol intake
• Managing existing skin conditions

It’s also a good idea to avoid as much trauma to your face as possible, which includes rubbing, stretching, or pulling the skin on your face. To reduce your risk of developing spider veins and larger varicose veins in your legs, it helps to manage your weight, avoid wearing tight clothing, and refrain from long stretches of sitting or standing.  

If you have more questions or are ready to see which treatment is right for you, schedule a consultation with our team at CANJ Aesthetics in Oakland, New Jersey, online or over the phone today.