Your hands draw people’s attention (especially if you use them a lot when you talk). Like the face, your hands are often exposed to the elements and may show your age before skin in other areas of the body. As the skin on the back of the hands become thinner, the veins become more prominent. This can be even more noticeable if your hands are slim. Prominent hand veins can be treated quite easily, according to Dr. Charles Dietzek of the Vein and Vascular Institute of New Jersey.
What Causes Prominent Hand Veins?
Aging has a number of effects on the skin of the hands. First, the skin becomes thinner. Aging results in deceased subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin), which means there’s less of a cushion under the skin. Since the hands don’t have much subcutaneous fat in the first place, a minimal loss of fat can have a significant effect. At the same time, the skin is beginning to loosen. The combination of all these factors means the veins on the back of the hand can become more prominent. These bulging hand veins are not varicose veins and they don’t usually cause any kind of symptoms. But they are a giveaway in terms of age and may be an aesthetic issue for some people. Protecting your skin from the sun can minimize the impact of age spots and other sun damage, but has no effect on prominent hand veins.
Are Hand Vein Treatments Available?
Prominent hand veins can be treated with sclerotherapy – the same treatment used for varicose veins. Sclerotherapy is considered a minimally invasive procedure and is performed in a doctor’s office or vein clinic. Using a tiny needle, the doctor injects a solution that irritates the veins. In response, the veins swell and then collapse. The collapsed veins gradually scar closed and shrink, eventually disappearing into the surrounding tissue. Laser hand treatments are another option, but for most patients sclerotherapy is quick, easy and readily available, so it’s considered the gold standard for hand vein treatment.
What’s the Hand Vein Treatment Procedure Like?
Most sclerotherapy treatments take about 30 minutes. First the skin is carefully cleaned to prevent infection. Next, the doctor injects the sclerotherapy solution into the chosen vein(s). Anesthesia isn’t usually necessary. You”ll need to wear special compression gloves or an elastic wrap for a few days or weeks to press the veins together while they scar closed. In most cases, recovery time is minimal and you can resume your normal activities within a day. The full results of the treatment don’t become apparent for about six weeks. Veins can be retreated if necessary.
If you need hand vein treatment, the Vein and Vascular Institute can help. Most experts recommend treating these prominent veins early, as the results are often better than when you wait. Please contact us for any questions or concerns you may have about hand vein treatment. We’ll also be happy to schedule an appointment.