What are spider veins?

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Spider veins are a purple/blue colour and they are fairly small in size. They are shaped like spiders legs and that's where their name comes from. They are quite common these days and most women will suffer from them at some stage in their lives. The most common areas of the body affected are the ankles, the calves, the face and the thighs. They could be caused by hormones, they could be inherited or it could be due to sun exposure. The best way to avoid getting them is to cover up in the sun and wear protection. It should be noted that it is only mainly people with fair skin who get spider veins due to sun exposure. Another way to prevent them is to exercise regularly to strengthen up the calve muscles and not sitting down for long periods of time. There is a treatment called Sclerotherapy in which a doctor injects a solution into the infected vein. The solution then causes the vein to swell up and stick together which causes it to seal shut. The blood supply is then stopped and the vein does disappear in a short time limit. The treatment may have to be repeated more than once but people have noted extreme changes in the appearance of the veins afterwards.