You’re going about your business — applying moisturizer to your legs or getting dressed. Then you see it: Spidery purplish lines on your thighs or the back of your legs. What gives?
Spider veins — thin, threadlike veins that show through the skin, are another one of those skin changes some women experience during pregnancy. If you do develop spider veins, the good news is they’re mostly harmless.
What are spider veins?
Spider veins are simply swollen veins that are visible just under the surface of the skin. They most often appear on the legs, because the veins there have to work against gravity and travel the farthest distance to carry blood to your heart. Spider veins can also occur on the face or other areas of the body.[1]
What causes spider veins during pregnancy?
First, a quick explainer of how spider veins develop in general. Typically, the valves in veins push blood in one direction — to the heart.
However, sometimes the valves can weaken and have problems closing. If the valves don’t close correctly, blood can leak back into the bottom of the veins. Over time, the blood builds up, causing the wall of the vein to weaken and grow larger. That’s when the spider veins or varicose veins start to appear.
During pregnancy, women are at a greater risk for developing spider veins, because the increased volume of blood you're carrying creates significant pressure on your blood vessels, causing even small veins to swell. Plus, your expanding uterus adds an extra dose of pressure on your veins.[2]
Genetics can also predispose you to spider veins (and varicose veins, and stretch marks — thanks, Mom!).
What do spider veins look like?
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Spider veins can look like tree branches or a spiderweb of small red, blue or purplish veins. However, spider veins can also appear in a sunburst pattern or as a series of short, unconnected lines.
While spider veins are visible through the skin, they don’t make the skin bulge out like varicose veins. Spider veins can occur alone or with varicose veins and visible veins.
Will spider veins that develop during pregnancy go away?
While they might be driving you crazy now, spider veins are usually a temporary side effect of pregnancy. They typically shrink after you give birth, when your blood volume falls back to normal. That might be within three or four months.
Sometimes, though, they may not go away completely. Also, if you already have spider veins, you’re more likely to develop more in future pregnancies.[3]
Can you prevent spider veins during pregnancy?
While it’s impossible to prevent spider veins completely during pregnancy, there are ways to minimize their spread.
- Fill up on fiber. Be sure to include high-fiber foods in your diet, since constipation (another all-too-common pregnancy symptom) can contribute to swollen veins. Straining during a bowel movement constricts the deep veins in your legs — which means the blood must then find another route through superficial veins, thus creating those blue streaks. Good options for regularity include fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains like bran.
- Get plenty of vitamin C. Make sure to eat lots of C-rich foods in a healthy pregnancy diet — your body uses this vitamin to manufacture collagen and elastin, two important connective tissues that help repair and maintain veins.
- Work it out. Regular exercise improves leg strength, circulation and the stability of your veins. Most effective are moves that work your legs, such as walking or running. And aim to keep your weight gain gradual and moderate to avoid placing excess pressure on your legs.
- Keep it flowing. Try not to cross your legs when you’re sitting (which restricts blood flow), and elevate them when you’re resting to ease circulation from your legs and feet back to your heart.
- Try not to sit or stand for long stretches. If you do have to stand for a long period of time, shift your weight from one leg to the other every few minutes. If you must sit for a long time, stand up and move around or take a short walk every half hour or so.
- Suit up. Compression stockings may help minimize new spider veins. These stockings also help prevent leg swelling (called edema) and varicose veins. Wear them during the day and remove them at night. But, while support stockings are OK, stay away from very tight clothing or anything that constricts your waist, groin or legs.
- Save some solutions for later. If your spider veins are bothering you, some effective cosmetic procedures can minimize or eliminate them, including laser treatments and sclerotherapy, a procedure in which the veins are injected with a special solution, which causes them to collapse and fade from view. But you can’t try either until after your baby is born.
When to talk to your doctor about spider veins
Other than being noticeable, spider veins usually don’t cause any symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you want to remove your spider veins
Also reach out to the doctor immediately if your spider veins cause any pain, become swollen, warm to the touch, red or very tender, or you develop a sore or rash in the area of the spider vein.
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