How to Get Rid of Spider Veins: Treatments, Compression and Prevention
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Spider veins don’t fade on their own. Creams, oils and “natural” fixes won’t remove them either.
To get rid of spider veins, you need a treatment that closes the damaged vessel. The two main ones are sclerotherapy for legs and laser or light therapy, which is often used on the face.
What you can do at home is stop them spreading. Moving more, managing weight and wearing graduated compression all help, and compression also improves your results after sclerotherapy.
The short version:
- To remove existing spider veins: sclerotherapy or laser, done by a doctor
- To help treatment work better: wear compression stockings afterwards, as your practitioner directs
- To avoid getting new ones: keep your calves moving, avoid long periods standing or sitting still, and consider everyday compression if veins run in your family
- Home remedies: fine for comfort, but they won’t make a spider vein disappear
What Are Spider Veins, and Why Don’t They Go Away?
Spider veins (telangiectasias) are tiny damaged blood vessels close to the skin’s surface. They show up as red, blue or purple lines, often in a web or branch pattern.
Spider veins as a common, mild form of varicose veins. They appear mostly on the legs and feet, but can also show up on the face.
Here’s why they stick around. Your leg veins rely on tiny one-way valves to push blood back up to your heart. When those valves don’t close properly, blood pools in the surface veins and stretches them.
Once a vessel wall has stretched, there’s nothing in a cream or supplement that can shrink it back. That’s why removing spider veins means closing the vessel, so your body can reroute blood through healthier veins.
Spider Veins Treatment Options That Actually Remove Them
| Treatment | Best for | How it works | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sclerotherapy | Leg spider veins and small varicose veins | A solution is injected into the vein so it collapses and seals | Several sessions are common; veins fade over weeks to months |
| Laser therapy | Very fine leg veins, facial veins | Light energy heats and closes the vessel | Usually more than one session |
| IPL or electrosurgery | Facial red veins (“broken capillaries”) | Light or a fine electrical current seals small vessels | Done by a dermatologist or cosmetic doctor |
| Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy | Stubborn spider veins with a deeper “feeder” vein | The doctor uses ultrasound to target the vein underneath | Treats the source, not just the surface |
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is the go-to treatment for leg spider veins. A doctor injects an irritant solution into the vein. This makes the vein spasm and collapse, and over time its walls heal together so it can no longer carry blood.
It isn’t an instant fix. According to the Better Health Channel, treated leg veins can take two to six months to clear, and each vein may need several injections spaced weeks apart.
Most people feel only a pinprick, sometimes followed by a brief burning sensation. Common side effects include bruising, brown lines along the treated vein, and “matting”, which is a fine network of new tiny vessels near the treatment site.
In fewer than 5% of people, those brown lines can last a year or longer.
Laser and light treatments
Laser treatment sends bursts of light onto the vein, which slowly fades it until it can no longer be seen. No needles or cuts are involved.
Laser is often the first choice for facial spider veins and very fine leg veins that are too small to inject. It usually takes a few sessions to get a good result.
When there’s a bigger vein underneath
Sometimes a cluster of spider veins keeps coming back because a larger vein beneath the skin is feeding it. For spider veins that haven’t responded to standard injections, ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy lets the doctor see and treat the vein underneath.
If you also have bulging, rope-like veins, you may be dealing with varicose veins too. These usually need a proper vein assessment. Our compression stockings for varicose veins can help manage symptoms while you wait.
Does Medicare cover spider vein removal?
Usually not, if the treatment is purely cosmetic.
The Medicare item for sclerotherapy (MBS item 32500) only applies when the service isn’t for cosmetic purposes and the doctor has demonstrated reflux in the vein. Most spider vein treatment is out of pocket, so ask your clinic for a quote and check with your health fund.
Can You Get Rid of Spider Veins Naturally at Home?
Honestly, no. Spider veins that have already formed won’t disappear with home remedies.
Apple cider vinegar, essential oils, massage and “vein creams” might make your legs feel nicer. None of them can seal a stretched blood vessel, and that’s what removal actually takes.
Home care is still worth doing, though. It can:
- ease aching or heavy legs
- slow down how quickly new spider veins appear
- improve your results if you do go ahead with treatment
Some products can even work against you. Better Health notes that vitamin E creams or supplements and anti-bruising creams have been linked with matting after sclerotherapy, and iron supplements are best avoided during treatment because they’re tied to brown staining. If you’re planning treatment, tell your doctor about everything you take.
A quick confidence tip: If you want to cover your spider veins while you decide, leg makeup, a gradual self-tan or sheer compression hosiery like JOBST UltraSheer can help. Sheer hosiery hides veins while it supports your legs.
Do Compression Stockings Help Spider Veins?
Yes, but not in the way most people hope. Compression won’t erase spider veins you already have.
What compression does well is support your veins from the outside. Graduated pressure is firmest at the ankle and eases off higher up the leg. This helps push blood upward instead of letting it pool, and pooling is what stretches small vessels in the first place.
Compression after sclerotherapy
This is where compression really earns its place.
In a randomised controlled trial of 100 women, those who wore 23–32 mmHg compression stockings daily for three weeks after sclerotherapy had better vessel clearance than those who didn’t. Discomfort complaints were low, and most women tolerated the stockings well.
How long you’ll need them depends on what was treated. Small veins typically need compression for around three to six days, while bigger veins may need about six weeks. Always follow your practitioner’s instructions over any general rule.
How to Avoid Getting Spider Veins
You can’t control everything. Family history, hormones and age all play a part. But you can lower the pressure on your veins, and that lowers your odds.
- Break up long stretches of standing or sitting. Changing how you sit or stand often, because movement keeps blood flowing. Even flexing your ankles at your desk helps.
- Work your calf muscles. Your calves act as a pump for your leg veins. Walking is ideal, and these exercises for varicose veins work just as well for prevention.
- Keep a healthy weight. Extra weight adds pressure on leg veins.
- Put your feet up. Raising your legs above heart level for short breaks helps blood drain. Here’s how to elevate your legs properly.
- Go easy on high heels. Lower heels make your calf muscles work harder, which helps your veins.
- Wear compression if you’re high-risk. This is worth it if veins run in your family or you’re on your feet all day. Nurses, retail and hospitality workers often start here. See our picks for compression socks for standing all day.
- Get support during pregnancy. Higher blood volume and hormonal changes make spider veins more likely. Maternity compression stockings are designed for this stage.
- Protect your face from the sun. DermNet lists sun-damaged and ageing skin (especially in smokers) and rosacea among the common causes of visible facial vessels. Daily SPF is your best prevention here.
Spider Veins on the Face vs Legs
| Legs | Face | |
|---|---|---|
| Main driver | Pressure from faulty vein valves | Sun damage, rosacea, ageing skin |
| Usual treatment | Sclerotherapy, sometimes laser | Vascular laser, IPL, electrosurgery |
| Does compression help? | Yes, for prevention and after treatment | No |
| Best prevention | Movement, weight, compression | Sun protection, managing rosacea |
When Spider Veins Need a Doctor
Most spider veins are harmless. Still, see your GP if you notice:
- aching, heaviness, cramping or swelling in your legs
- itching, or skin turning brown or discoloured around the veins
- a sore or ulcer near your ankle that’s slow to heal
Get medical care promptly if a vein becomes painful, hot, red or hard, or if one leg suddenly swells. These can be signs of a blood clot.
Your GP may refer you to a phlebologist (vein specialist), a vascular surgeon or a dermatologist. If they suspect a deeper vein problem, they may also arrange a Doppler ultrasound.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get rid of spider veins?
After sclerotherapy, treated leg veins usually fade over two to six months. Smaller veins clear faster than larger ones, and many people need more than one session.
Can spider veins come back after treatment?
A vein that’s been properly closed usually stays gone. But treatment doesn’t change your genes, hormones or lifestyle, so new spider veins can still form nearby. That’s why prevention habits and compression matter after treatment too.
Can you get rid of spider veins in one session?
Sometimes, if there are only a few small veins. Most people need two or more sessions, spaced several weeks apart.
Can exercise get rid of spider veins?
No. Exercise improves circulation and can help prevent new spider veins, but it won’t make existing ones disappear.
Why have I suddenly got spider veins?
Common triggers include pregnancy, hormonal changes (including the pill or HRT), long hours on your feet, weight gain and getting older. On the face, sun exposure and rosacea are the usual culprits.
What should I avoid after sclerotherapy?
Walk regularly and wear your compression as directed. Check with your doctor before taking iron supplements, using vitamin E or anti-bruising creams, or taking a long-haul flight soon after treatment, as these can affect results or clot risk.
Are spider veins a sign of something serious?
On their own, usually not. If they come with aching, swelling, skin changes or bulging veins, it’s worth getting your leg veins checked.
