• Wearing high-heeled shoes can cause spider veins over time."press>play video shoot for teaser" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: independentman (T I M O) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Identification

• Spider veins, known as varicose veins, are most visible on a woman's legs as thin, scraggly lines that are dark red or purplish. They may appear on the lower legs but also can show up on the upper-thigh area as well.
  
  

Pregnancy

• Pregnancy can cause hormones to rise, increasing the blood that moves through a woman's veins. Overworked veins and carrying around the weight of a growing baby can cause vein valves to weaken.
  
  

Thinning Skin

• A woman's blood vessels can lose elasticity, and her skin can begin to thin. Varicose veins will push the thinner skin outward and become more visible.
  
  

Weight Gain

• If a woman gains a lot of weight, it can put extra pressure in the circulatory system within the legs. The added weight makes it harder for the blood to get to the veins, causing them to swell so that the blood can push through.
  
  

Prevention

• Women should eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise to prevent her from obesity and getting spider veins. She should also avoid standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
  
  

Treatment

• Sclerotherapy is one type of treatment in which women get injections of sodium chloride directly into the varicose vein. Sodium chloride causes the vein to swell and stick together, allowing the blood to clot and turning the vein into scar tissue. Laser treatments are available for more serious varicose veins.