Thread Veins - Legs
Thread Veins on the LEG are commonly called Spider Veins, Broken Veins, Surface Veins or Venous Flares. It doesn't really matter what you call them as long as you don't get them confused with Varicose Veins.
If you have thread veins, you really should have a Venous Duplex Ultrasound before having any treatment to make sure that you don't have LEG PUMP FAILURE underlying the Thread Veins.
| Which sort of vein? | Thread Veins | Varicose Veins |
|---|---|---|
Where are they? |
Very near the surface |
Deeper under the skin |
What colour are they? |
Look red, blue or purple |
Look skin coloured or bluish/green |
What size are they? |
Usually less than 1-2mm |
Usually larger than 2mm |
Medical Importance? |
Cosmetic only |
Sign of underlying leg pump failure |
Rarely they can ache locally |
Skin damage occurring due to venous reflux |
|
BUT-may be a sign of underlying leg pump failure |
||
What do they look like? |
 |
 |
 |
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