Not every skincare treatment is necessarily caused by skin cells or the skin barrier, and indeed some have causes that are far more than skin-deep.
The biggest example of this is varicose veins, also known as spider veins depending on their appearance, which are noticeable red, blue and purple clusters of blood vessels that appear just below the surface of the skin.
They tend to look like complex tree branch structures or spider webs, hence the common term spider veins, and typically appear on the legs although they can appear on other parts of the body.
Generally, spider veins and varicose veins are interchangeable terms, but the difference is that varicose veins can sometimes be felt on the surface of the skin.
They are both caused by a failure of valves in the veins, which are the mechanisms that keep blood flowing towards the heart, even when gravity tries to keep it flowing away.
If the vein fails, blood collects in these veins instead, causing them to enlarge and in some cases burst.
There are so many veins in the body that this is not necessarily harmful, and indeed many people who have spider veins do not feel any pain from them, but in other cases, it can lead to heavy feelings, itching or even burning sensations.
The main cause is genetic; the overwhelming majority of people who develop spider veins have family members who also have them.
Similarly, anything that increases blood flow, such as pregnancy, hormones, smoking or regularly sitting or standing for considerable amounts of time can be added risk factors for spider veins.
Whilst treatment is not usually necessary where there isn’t any pain or other complications, there are several nonsurgical solutions, with the easiest, fastest and least painful one being laser therapy.
This uses a laser to heat and destroy the vein, which can lead to rapid results, although with larger veins it may take up to three months to see it completely disappear.
