You can do everything right and still end up with bulging veins on the back of your hands.
But Father Time and genetics aren’t the only two culpable parties in this case, and thankfully, no matter how the problem surfaced, there are plenty of discrete treatment options available for you.
Speaking of, understanding the causes of prominent hand veins can help you better understand and choose between the various treatments we offer at Beach Cities Vein & Laser Center in the Los Angeles area..
To empower you with everything you need to make an informed decision, this guide will cover the most common causes and treatments for prominent hand veins.
Environmental and Activity-Based Contributors to Bulging Hand Veins
Both what you do and where you do it, whether over a single day or repeatedly over time, can increase your chance of developing prominent hand veins. Common environmental and activity-based causes in this arena include:
- Hot weather
- Exercise
- Prolonged gravity-dependent positioning (explanation below)
- Smoking
- Low-calorie dieting
Hot weather, or other causes of increased body temperature, cause blood vessels to dilate. Understandably, a dilated blood vessel is a more prominently visible blood vessel, and the hands are not exempt from this. In most cases, this issue is temporary.
Exercise (especially weightlifting) causes blood vessels to come closer to the surface of the skin while also requiring an increase in blood flow, both of which can cause veins to appear more prominently.
By prolonged gravity-dependent positioning, we’re in this case referring to positioning the hands well below the heart, which makes it more difficult for fluids to return from the area. This can also cause veins to bulge prominently, and is definitely not a good idea for prolonged periods of time.
Smoking damages vein walls and constricts blood vessels. These issues can cause blood to pool in the veins, and can also encourage inflammation of the affected areas.
Low-calorie dieting does not directly damage or irritate the blood vessels, but by reducing your body fat, you can make the veins appear more prominent.
Hereditary and Other (Unavoidable) Factors
As mentioned, some things just happen to the body regardless of how well you take care of it, whether the cause is hereditary or related to natural processes.
In the case of bulging hand veins making an unwelcome debut, the most common causes in this department include age, hereditary causes, and being an ectomorph.
As we age ever-so gracefully into genteel, salt-and-pepper-haired gentlemen and women, the skin gradually thins out and loses its elasticity. At the same time, the valves that veins use to prevent backflow begin failing, causing blood to pool up as the vessel swells. This is a very effective one-two punch combo when it comes to causing bulging hand veins.
Hereditary causes are a common cause of bulging hand veins as well, though the underlying causes can vary on a case-by-case basis. (Thanks a lot, Dad!)
Finally, ectomorphs are not a race of humanoid aliens from a low-budget horror movie—it is the term for people who are predisposed to stay very skinny no matter how much they eat. The thinner you are, the easier it is for those blood vessels to show up.
Medical Conditions That May Cause Bulging Hand Veins
As you might suspect, most of the conditions that can cause bulging hand veins are vascular problems. Some of these can be very serious, and warrant immediate medical attention.
Included in this list is superficial thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, and pregnancy, among other vascular conditions.
Superficial thrombophlebitis is the inflammation of veins that are close to the skin (hence, superficial) due to a blood clot.
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot to one of the deeper, typically larger veins of the body. While DVTs typically affect the legs, they still occur in upper extremities.
Pregnancy obviously comes with a whole smorgasbord of symptoms, one of which includes a significant (at least 20%) increase in blood flow. Simply put, more blood flow means bulgier veins.
Popular Hand Vein Treatment Options
Sufficiently depressed by this point, are we?
Never fear—there are several hand vein treatment procedures available at Beach Cities Vein & Laser Center, where we merge industry-leading tech with time-tested expertise to provide the exact outcome you’re looking for.
Some of the most popular treatments we offer to the greater Los Angeles area for prominent hand veins include sclerotherapy, microphlebectomy, and endovenous laser treatment.
Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a special compound into the target vein(s) via a tiny needle, which causes the vein to close in on itself and eventually dissolve.
Microphlebectomy is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that involves extracting the target vein(s) through very small incisions in the skin. Only local anesthesia is required.
Endovenous laser is another minimally invasive outpatient procedure, in this case involving the insertion of a very fine fiber into the target vein. Once in place, the fiber is energized, forcing the vein closed. This procedure also requires very little downtime.
Come to Beach Cities Vein and Laser Center for Superior Hand Vein Treatment
As proud advocates of patient autonomy and education, it’s our mission at Beach Cities Vein and Laser Center of Los Angeles to ensure you make a confident and fully informed decision on your treatment.
From day one, our highly trained team will keep you in the loop as to what options you have, what they entail, and how you can best prepare for them.
Not to mention, we’re always up to date on the latest and most effective treatments. Contact us today to become a more confident you!