If you are wondering how to get rid of unsightly leg veins, this video is a great place to start. Wendy Lewis, an international beauty consultant and expert, and author of America's Cosmetic Doctors, is here to help you navigate the newest advances in treatment options. Spider veins are small, thin veins that appear as clusters of red, blue, or purple lesions. Spider veins are formed by the dilation of a small group of blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. They can show up anywhere on the body, but they are most commonly found on the face and the thighs, calves and ankles. Although you cannot prevent them, there are several methods available to treat spider veins, such as sclerotherapy and the use of lasers that target vascular lesions. Both women and men may be prone to spider veins. The most common procedure is sclerothapy, which calls for the veins to be injected with a concentrated salt water solution that causes them to rupture and fade. A cooling gel may be used to reduce any stinging or burning. Laser therapy and intense pulsed light therapy may also be effective for both smaller veins and broken capillaries. The heat from the high-intensity laser beam specifically targets the veins so they collapse. Multiple treatment sessions may be needed for best results, depending on the size, number, and location of the veins. After each session, the veins should appear lighter. Some swelling and discoloration or bruising should be expected for several days. Varicose veins differ from spider veins in that they tend to bulge and are larger and darker in color. Some varicose veins can now be treated with minimally invasive methods, performed under local anesthesia in your doctor's office. In the most common procedure, a laser fiber or radiofrequency catheter is inserted into the abnormal vein, which is then sealed closed by heat energy. After the procedure, you can resume almost all normal activities immediately. Another new method is available to treat medium sized varicose veins, called foam sclerotherapy. In this procedure, foam can be easily guided via ultrasound imaging to the source of the venous problem, where it displaces the collected blood. A more invasive method, called an ambulatory phlebectomy, calls for the removal of undesired veins through a series of tiny incisions along the path of the vein. However, neither this procedure nor the traditional vein stripping procedure are done as often now that less invasive methods are available. The veins that have been treated will be gone permanently. However, treatment cannot prevent new veins from appearing. If you are particularly prone to having them, you can expect to see more turn up in the future as you age, when you gain weight, after pregnancies, and after standing for long periods. The choice of treatment depends on the type, size, location, and depth of the vein problem as determined by various non-invasive diagnostic tests. For best results, vein treatments should be performed by a board-certified surgeon. For more on what to expect during vein treatments, check out the other resources on our site.