What are Blue Veins?

Blue veins are usually nothing to worry about, but in some cases – they can indicate poor vein health.

Why are my veins blue?

When your blood is red, it can be confusing to understand why your veins may appear blue and there is a myth that oxygen-poor blood is blue. This is not true; your blood is always red which varies in shades depending on the oxygen level.

The reason that our veins often appear blue is almost a type of illusion. The colours that we see are dependent on the wavelengths that our eyes perceive. As veins are located under the skin, this can cause wavelengths to scatter in different ways. Blue wavelengths are shorter than red wavelengths and red light is more easily absorbed by the skin so the blue colour of our veins is often just reflected blue light.

Whilst everyone tends to have blue veins, having sudden visible blue veins can in some cases indicate vein disease, especially if their cause is unknown.

What causes blue visible veins?

• Exercise – If you have had a particularly strenuous workout then your veins are likely to be working harder and are more visible. If this is the case, then they will become less visible after you have stopped exercising.
• Temperature – An increase in body temperature can cause an increase in blood flow as the veins temporarily dilate, this can lead to temporary prominent veins.
• Age – As we start to age, our skin becomes thinner causing veins to be more prominent.
• Skin Tone – Fair skin often results in blue veins being more visible.
• Hormones – Hormonal changes such as pregnancy can cause a change in how visible our veins are.
• Genetics – If you have family members with visible veins then you are more likely to develop them in the future too.
• Venous Insufficiency – Prominent blue veins are often thread veins which can be one of the first signs of venous insufficiency.

What are thread veins?

Thread veins are also known as spider veins or telangiectasis. They appear as visible small, thin lines that are blue, red or purple in colour. They occur when the valves within the veins weaken and stop working correctly. This can cause the vein to branch out causing a web-like pattern which is where the name spider veins originated from.

In most cases, thread veins are nothing to worry about. But they can also be a sign of venous insufficiency which is why when seeking thread vein treatment, it is recommended that you have an ultrasound scan to check for underlying varicose veins.

Thread Vein Treatments

Consultations with our expert vascular surgeons will always include a free duplex ultrasound scan with results provided within the same consultation. This means that a full treatment plan can be provided at consultation with quotes to enable you to leave with all the information you need and make a fully informed decision in your own time.

We offer a range of treatments for thread veins which includes:

Microsclerotherapy

Microsclerotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for thread veins, the treatment involves injecting a sclerosing substance into the thread veins which irritates the walls of the veins. This causes the walls to stick together and close up which blocks the vein channel and the blood is redirected.

The results are often instant, many can see the veins disappearing once the sclerosing agent is injected, but redness and skin discolouration is common following treatment so the best results can take up to 6 weeks and a course of 2-3 treatments are recommended. Sun exposure should be avoided for 6 weeks following Microsclerotherapy treatment.

Cutera CoolGlide

Cutera CoolGlide for thread veins uses intense light that is directed at the veins being treated. The veins absorb this light which effectively collapses the thread vein.

The results of Cutera CoolGlide for thread veins can initially be seen after 2-6 weeks following treatment but it is a gradual treatment with the best results taking several months. Redness and swelling is common immediately post-treatment and sun exposure must be avoided for 4-6 weeks.

Cutera CoolGlide is also an effective treatment for blue veins on the face, particularly veins under the eyes.

Intense Pulsed Light Treatment (IPL)

IPL treatment for thread veins uses intense pulsed light to effectively heat up the veins being targeted which then causes them to collapse and be naturally absorbed by the body.

It can take up to 3-5 months to see the best results from IPL treatment for thread veins and it often involves a course of up to 5 treatments. The skin may be red and swollen for 48 hours post-treatment and sun exposure should be avoided for 3-4 weeks.

IPL treatment is most commonly used for facial thread veins.

Thread Vein treatment at The Private Clinic

• The Private Clinic spider vein clinic has over 40 years of medical experience and are the UK’s leading authority in non-invasive and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures.
• We have carried out over 7,000 procedures in treating Veins.
• We specialise in minimally invasive treatments using the latest and most innovative methods available
• Thread vein treatments are performed by expert doctors, nurses and laser practitioners.
• We are one of very few clinics within the industry to treat veins under the eyes.
• We are a UK centre of excellence for the minimally invasive treatment of veins.
• We provide the highest standard of clinical care and offer the latest technologies available in the industry.
• View our thread vein before and after result photos.
• View our under eye thread vein before and after result photos.
• Read our extensive thread vein FAQs.
• Read our extensive facial thread vein FAQs.
• Find out more information in our thread spider vein blogs.
• Consultations for thread veins are available in London Harley Street, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Leeds, Manchester and Northampton

To find out more about vein treatments or to book a consultation, call us on 0333 920 2471 or use our vein treatment online contact form.