Vein Troubles
Broken veins - also known as spider veins, thread veins, or broken capillaries - are threadlike veins that have become stretched out and distended. These unnaturally dilated veins fill up with an abundance of blood, making them extremely visible beneath the skin. At one time, dermatologists cauterized these small vessels with electric current. Cosmetic lasers soon replaced cauterizing. EpiLight (also called PhotoDerm) is a modern treatment which produces good cosmetic results on spider veins, using pulses of intense light.
Varicose veins - which occur most often on the legs - have a dark blue, green, or purple cast. They occur as a result of a malfunction of the vein’s valves. Normally the valves help propel blood to the heart but they can be stretched due to pregnancy, obesity, blood clots, or a hereditary defect. When this happens, the valve is unable to close normally, and blood pools in the vein. If the problem is mild, a saline solution can be injected into the vein, encouraging the vein to restrict. In moderate cases, your doctor can close off the vein at the valve. In severe cases, your doctor might remove the entire vein.