The short answer is usually for the feet and sometimes for the hands. Seeing veins on the hands or feet is common and is normal in most people. Veins in these areas are more prominent after exercise or in the heat. They also become more prominent as people age because there is less support tissue around the veins.
Some medical problems, such as varicose veins in the legs, or blocked veins in the arms, can also cause prominent veins.
What are the causes of veins on the hands or feet?
In people with thinner skin, like the elderly where skin elasticity reduces over time, the veins may become more obvious on the hands or feet. As well, for those with less fat tissue, veins may naturally appear more prominent. These are not cause for concern.
Exercise can also cause veins on the hands and feet to become more pronounced due to increased blood flow and pressure. This is usually harmless and resolves when you stop exercising.
Hot weather or immersion in warm water, like dishwashing, can cause veins to dilate and make them easier to see.
Conversely, cold temperatures can constrict veins and make them less visible.
As you age, your skin becomes thinner and less elastic, which can naturally make veins on the surface more noticeable. You may notice prominent veins on the hands or feet of an elderly relative.
Can you get varicose veins on the hands or feet?
Varicose veins on the feet are relatively common and are an extensive of a person’s leg varicose veins. Blocked veins in arms, usually at the level of the shoulder or armpit, may cause veins on the backs of the hands to be prominent and may have a similar appearance to varicose veins in the legs.
When should you see a vascular specialist?
Most often seeing veins on your hands or feet is not cause for concern. Contact us if you have any of the following, along with seeing the veins on your hands or feet:
- There is pain, swelling or tenderness around the veins
- Veins appear suddenly, along with sores, and the skin around them is discoloured, bruised looking, dry or itchy
- You have a family history of varicose veins or blood clots.
Can you make veins on the hands or feet disappear?
If you are worried about your veins, they don’t go away after exercise, your skin is otherwise in good condition and you are not elderly, or they are getting worse, please contact us. Treatment is available for these veins in many cases.
Complete our online consultation and our nurse will call you to discuss whether these veins are varicose veins.
Options for treatment are minimally invasive and are effective in closing off the veins where appropriate. These options include sclerotherapy, where the specialist injects a solution into the vein to make it collapse and seal or laser therapy, where laser heat is used to penetrate the vein so it eventually fades over time. Blood reroutes through healthier veins.
