Although many people focus on the face, your hands may be one of the more obvious places to show your age. Thinning skin and other factors can make the veins on the hands more prominent, which is a giveaway that the hands belong to an older person. If your hands are very slim, the condition can be even more obvious. Hand vein treatment, however, is quite simple, according to Dr. Charles Dietzek of the Vein and Vascular Institute of New Jersey.
What Causes Prominent Hand Veins?
As people get older, the skin becomes thinner and less taut. Aging also diminishes subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) in many areas like the face and hands. The hands have very little subcutaneous fat to begin with, so it doesn’t take much fat loss to have a significant effect. The veins in the hands don’t change and bulging veins on the hands are not an indication of varicose veins, but the hand veins become more prominent due to these other changes. Bulging veins don’t generally cause any symptoms; they are purely an aesthetic issue. Although you can help prevent signs of aging on the hands from sun damage, there is no way to prevent prominent hand veins.
What Hand Vein Treatments Are Available?
The most common treatment for prominent hand veins is sclerotherapy. Performed by vein doctors and vascular surgeons, sclerotherapy is an outpatient vein treatment procedure that takes place in a doctor’s office or vein clinic. The veins are injected with a solution that irritates the vein walls and makes them collapse. The treated vessels gradually shrink and are absorbed by the surrounding tissue. After a few weeks or months, they disappear. Laser hand vein treatments are also available, but sclerotherapy is so quick, safe and effective that it is currently considered the gold standard for treating prominent hand veins.
What’s the Hand Vein Treatment Procedure Like?
Sclerotherapy takes very little time – about 30 minutes in most cases. The skin is cleansed to prevent infection and the doctor injects the solution into the vein(s) with a very small needle. No anesthesia is necessary. After the treatment, you’ll wear compression gloves or a wrap for several days to a couple of weeks to help the vein stay collapsed and prevent swelling. You can resume your normal activities almost immediately. Swelling is usually minimal and most patients experience little if any discomfort. In most cases, treating these veins earlier is better, as the skin and tissues are in better shape at a younger age. It takes about six weeks for the full effects of the treatment to become noticeable.
If you have prominent hand veins, the Vein and Vascular Institute of New Jersey can help. We also diagnose and treat other vascular conditions like varicose and spider veins. Please contact us for any questions. We’ll be happy to schedule an appointment.