Your Hands Are Showing Their Age

Everyone is concerned when varicose veins and spider veins show up on their calves and ankles, but people overlook veins that appear on the backs of their hands. Considering how visible your hands are, these veins can really make you look older. At Northern Michigan Vein Specialists, we offer cosmetic treatments for veins on the hands. 

Why Are Veins Showing More And More On My Hands? 

As our skin thins with age, some of the veins and tendons that become more obvious on the backs of the hands are inevitable. Our production of collagen declines by one additional percentage point every year after we hit the age of 20, so by the time we are in our 50s and above, the declining skin support on the backs of the hands really allows the veins to show. It doesn’t help that they are purple or dark blue because they are carrying deoxygenated blood back to the heart from the hands and fingers. 

These are the reasons your hand veins are bulging: 

•     Age — The loss of elasticity and declining collagen production make veins and tendons on the backs of your hands more and more visible.

•     Exercise — Exercise is great for your heart, lungs, muscles, bones, and your mind. But it’s not so great for the backs of your hands. This is because during physical exercise, the blood pressure in your arteries increases, which forces the plasma from the blood to pool around the muscles, causing the muscles to swell and harden. This pushes the veins toward the surface where they become more prominent.

•     Hot weather — When it’s hot and we’re out at Sleeping Bear Dunes or Crystal Lake, the veins tend to become larger, and they have trouble working as efficiently. This makes your veins more prominent when it’s hot out there.

•     Vascular disease — Bulging hand veins can also be a sign of vascular disease.

What Kinds Of Veins Are Showing On My Hands? 

Generally, what you’re seeing on the back of your hands are varicose veins. Varicose veins form when the valves preventing the backflow of blood weaken and allow the blood to pool. Also, our vein walls weaken with age, further allowing blood to push the walls outward, making the veins wider and less straight in direction. 

Do you want to address those unsightly veins on the backs of your hands? Call Dr. Heeringa at Northern Michigan Vein Specialists, (231) 936-2068, and he can treat them with sclerotherapy or microphlebectomy.