It’s almost Halloween, and for some of us red and blue spiderweb-looking veins are not necessarily part of the costume. Spider veins, also known as Telangiectasias now bother millions of people around the globe. Most of the time, they affect your face or legs, but in theory can occur anywhere on your body. So why exactly do they appear and is there a way to get rid of them by the time Halloween week is over?

The exact cause of spider veins is not completely clear, but there are common aspects that increase the risk:

• Genetics, heredity
• Pregnancy
• Increasing age
• Sun damage
• Obesity
• Mild form of venous insufficiency

Spider veins tend to get worse over time, so the sooner you treat them, the less complicated the treatment will be. The most effective treatments for spider veins are Sclerotherapy and Laser treatment. Lately, there has been some talk about using Intensive Pulse Light, or IPL for spider veins.

IPL uses a spectrum of light directed onto the skin. This concentrated pulse of light heats the vein walls and damages them, so they shrink and disappear. The problem with IPL is that it only works with certain skin types, typically patients with fair to light brown skin will see the best results. Yes, that’s correct, all of you so proud of your olive and darker skin, too bad. Additionally, the IPL procedure can be quite painful, and there’s risk of burning and damaging the skin.

Do yourself a favor, and look into one of the advanced procedures used to treat varicose veins, such as Sclerotherapy. It is highly effective, minimally invasive, with no downtime and minimum risks. The only downside is that for next Halloween you will have to paint those reddish veins on as a part of your costume!