If you’ve looked down at your hands and noticed bulging veins, you may wonder, is this a normal part of aging, or something else? Aging can impact the veins, but various conditions that affect the veins can also cause changes in their appearance. So, how do you tell the difference?
Our experts at Goldman Vein Institute, Alexander Goldman, MD, RVT, RPVI, and Saluja Varghese-Goldman, MD, RVT, RPVI, treat both medical and cosmetic issues related to hand veins. To help you out, we asked them to explain the causes of bulging hand veins, when it could be a sign of a medical issue, and what treatments are available.
As you age, your body naturally loses collagen, elastin, and subcutaneous fat, which is what makes your hands look plump and youthful. Significant weight loss can impact the appearance of your hands and make the veins appear more visible.
While these changes are typically harmless, sometimes medical conditions can also cause your hand veins to become more prominent. These include:
If you notice sudden changes in your hand veins — especially if they’re accompanied by pain, swelling, or redness — it’s a good idea to seek medical advice.
Visible hand veins don’t need to be painful or medically serious to qualify for treatment. At Goldman Vein Institute, we offer both medical and cosmetic solutions tailored to your specific needs.
One option is visually guided sclerotherapy, a minimally invasive procedure in which a special solution is injected directly into the affected vein. This solution causes the vein to collapse, allowing your body to naturally absorb it over time. This method is often used for smaller, superficial veins.
Laser therapy is another noninvasive approach that uses targeted light energy to shrink superficial veins.
For more prominent or deeper veins, we may recommend ambulatory phlebectomy. This involves removing the vein through tiny skin punctures and is typically performed under local anesthesia. In more advanced cases, vein stripping and ligation — a surgical procedure to tie off or remove large problematic veins — might be necessary.
When an underlying condition like DVT or phlebitis is involved, medical treatment such as anti-inflammatory medications or blood thinners may be the first step. Once the condition is under control, cosmetic treatments can be safely explored.
If your veins are bothering you and you’re unsure what’s causing them to be so prominent, our experts can examine your hands and let you know whether it’s purely a cosmetic concern or a medical one and help you decide the next steps to take.
Contact us online or by phone today to request an appointment at our offices in Jupiter or Wellington, Florida.
