Varicose veins and spider veins
Spider veins and varicose veins are very common, and on their own spider veins are mainly a cosmetic concern. But visible veins can also be the sign of leaking valves in larger veins beneath, especially when your legs ache, feel heavy or swell. That is why a phlebologist checks how the veins are working before anything cosmetic is considered.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
-
- Dr. Marat Takoev Phlebology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- What may help
- It starts with a consultation.
The short answer
Visible veins on the legs are a medical question first: a phlebologist checks how the veins are working before anything cosmetic is considered.
What it is, and why it happens
Leg veins carry blood back up to the heart against gravity. One-way valves keep it moving upwards, and the calf muscles help: each step squeezes the veins and lowers the pressure inside them. When a vein wall weakens, the vein widens, its valves stop closing properly and blood pools lower down the leg; doctors call this backflow reflux. The exact cause is not known, but it often runs in families.
Spider veins (telangiectasias) are the finest, up to about 1 mm across, and reticular veins, 1 to 3 mm, are the slightly larger ones just under the skin. Varicose veins are larger, lumpy, twisting veins that bulge under the skin, usually branches of the main surface veins of the leg. All three are common: in the Edinburgh Vein Study of adults aged 18 to 64, about a third of both men and women had varicose veins, and more than 80% had some spider or reticular veins.
Symptoms include heaviness, aching, throbbing or burning, itching, a feeling of swelling and cramps at night, typically worse after long standing or sitting. They do not always match how the legs look: some people with large varicose veins feel nothing, and some with aching legs have little to see. Over years, poorly working veins can lead to chronic venous insufficiency: ankles that swell, skin near the ankle that darkens, turns itchy and eczema-like or hardens, and in some people an ulcer, a wound below the knee that does not heal.
The risk rises with age, a family history of vein problems, pregnancy, extra weight and work that keeps you on your feet for long hours. Women report symptoms more often, but the veins themselves are common in men too.
What to be careful with
Treating visible veins cosmetically before the veins beneath are checked. The more spider veins there are, the more likely it is that larger veins are leaking, so European vascular guidelines advise an ultrasound scan of the leg veins before spider or reticular veins are treated, and dealing with any significant leaking veins first.
Ignoring swelling. Ankles that swell by the evening, one leg that swells more than the other, or skin around the ankle that is changing colour or texture deserve a medical check before drainage or massage treatments. Sudden, painful swelling of one calf is different: it needs urgent care (see below).
What matters in Dubai
Warmth widens the veins and lets more blood pool in the legs, which is why heat matters here. In a 2025 study that interviewed 50 working adults with vein disease, heat was consistently described as making swelling, pain and tiredness worse, while cooler conditions brought some relief. European guidelines list avoiding heat among the everyday measures, with regular walks, not standing for long stretches and resting with the legs slightly raised. In Dubai that can mean walking in the cooler hours or indoors, and going easy on saunas and long hot baths when your legs feel heavy.
Long hours on your feet, in shops, restaurants, hotels or hospitals, or long hours sitting at a desk or in traffic, make symptoms worse, and summer travel adds long flights. Short breaks to walk, and moving your feet and calves while you sit, keep the calf muscles working.
When to see a doctor first
Some signs need urgent care the same day, at an emergency department, not a booked appointment. Pain and swelling in one calf or thigh, especially if it feels warm or the skin looks red or darker (harder to see on brown or black skin), can be a clot in a deep vein. If you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call an ambulance (998 in the UAE): a clot can travel to the lungs. A vein that bleeds needs urgent care too: lie down, raise the leg and press firmly on the spot while you wait for help.
See a doctor soon if your legs ache, feel heavy, itch or swell; if veins are bulging or spreading; if the skin near the ankle is darkening, eczema-like or hard; if a vein becomes hard, red, warm and tender, which can be a clot in a surface vein and needs a prompt check because it can extend into the deep veins; or if a wound below the knee has not healed within two weeks.
A phlebology consultation starts with your symptoms, any past clots, your medicines and allergies. The doctor examines your legs while you stand, looking at the veins, any swelling and the skin around the ankles, and considers other causes of leg symptoms, such as the arteries, joints or nerves; photographs may be taken to compare over time. Duplex ultrasound is the standard test for seeing which veins are leaking or blocked; if you need one, the doctor explains why and what it involves. At CREAMÉ the consultation is with Dr. Marat Takoev, a phlebologist practising since 2010, trained in cardiovascular surgery, angiology and endovascular diagnosis and treatment. What follows depends on what he finds, and he explains the options that fit.
Questions people ask
Are spider veins dangerous?
On their own, rarely: they are mainly a cosmetic concern, though a fragile one can bleed if it is knocked. They are still worth a check if there are many of them or your legs ache, feel heavy or swell, because those can point to leaking veins beneath.
Do I need an ultrasound scan?
Not always for a first look, but usually before any treatment. A doctor learns a lot from examining the legs; duplex ultrasound confirms varicose veins and shows which veins are leaking, and guidelines advise it before spider or reticular veins are treated. The phlebologist tells you whether you need one, and why.
Can varicose veins cause blood clots?
They can, though it is uncommon. The usual one is a clot in a surface vein, which feels like a painful, red, warm cord and occasionally extends into a deep vein; varicose veins are considered a minor risk factor for deep vein clots. A painful, swollen calf needs urgent care.
Does exercise help varicose veins?
It helps the symptoms. Walking works the calf muscles that pump blood up the leg, and guidelines suggest exercise to ease venous symptoms, along with keeping to a healthy weight and resting with the legs raised. The evidence is for easing symptoms rather than for removing veins.
My veins appeared in pregnancy. Will they go away?
Often, at least partly. Pregnancy makes spider, reticular and varicose veins more likely, and in most people they shrink back at least partly in the first months after the birth, so decisions about treatment usually wait until three to six months after delivery. Pregnancy and the weeks after a birth also raise the risk of clots, so a painful, swollen calf needs urgent care.
Are long flights a risk if I have varicose veins?
A small one. Long journeys are a weak risk factor for clots, and the risk is higher if you have had a clot before, recent surgery, a pregnancy or a recent birth, or several risk factors at once. On any journey over three hours, walk when you can and keep your feet and calves moving; if you have had a clot before, ask a doctor before a long-haul flight. A clot linked to travel can appear up to eight weeks later.
How do I choose a clinic for varicose or spider veins in Dubai?
Look for one where a doctor who specialises in veins assesses them before anything is suggested: questions about your symptoms, any past clots and your medicines, an examination of your legs while you stand and, when it is needed, a duplex ultrasound scan to show which veins are leaking. Guidelines advise checking the veins beneath before spider veins are treated, so it is fair to ask how that will be done. At CREAMÉ the consultation is with Dr. Marat Takoev, a phlebologist practising since 2010.
Which doctor or specialist should I see for varicose or spider veins?
A phlebologist, a doctor who specialises in the veins; vascular surgeons see them too. Guidelines advise a specialist's assessment when varicose veins ache, feel heavy, itch or swell, when the skin near the ankle darkens or turns eczema-like, when a vein becomes hard and painful, or when a wound below the knee has not healed within two weeks; a vein that bleeds needs urgent care. Spider veins alone are mainly cosmetic, but many of them are worth the same check. At CREAMÉ that is Dr. Marat Takoev.
Spider veins vs varicose veins on the legs: what is the difference?
Mainly size, depth and cause. Spider veins are fine veins in the skin, up to about 1 mm across; varicose veins are larger, lumpy, twisting veins that bulge beneath it, usually branches of the main surface veins of the leg. Varicose veins come from valves that no longer close properly and can ache, feel heavy or swell; spider veins on their own are mainly a cosmetic concern. Many spider veins can also point to leaking veins beneath, so on the legs both start with the same check.
What helps the pain of varicose veins?
Everyday measures often ease it: regular walks, keeping to a healthy weight, resting with your legs raised and staying out of the heat, which in Dubai means walking in the cooler hours or indoors. Aching veins are also a reason guidelines give for a specialist's assessment, and the doctor checks that the pain comes from the veins, not the arteries, joints or nerves. A vein that turns hard, red and tender needs a prompt check, and sudden pain and swelling in one calf needs urgent care the same day.
Are varicose veins in men's legs as common as in women's?
Yes, and in one large study slightly more common. In the Edinburgh Vein Study of adults aged 18 to 64, 40% of men and 32% of women had varicose veins, though women report symptoms more often. The main risk factors are shared: age, a family history of vein problems, extra weight and long hours on your feet. The assessment is the same for men and women, with Dr. Marat Takoev, our phlebologist: a look at your legs while you stand, then the plan that fits.
Can varicose or spider veins be treated during pregnancy, or should I wait until after?
Usually you wait. Guidelines advise against treating varicose veins during pregnancy except in exceptional circumstances, and decisions about any treatment usually wait until a few months after the birth, once you can see what remains. Meanwhile, regular walks and resting with your legs raised can ease the heaviness.
What do spider veins around the ankles and feet mean?
Sometimes more than spider veins elsewhere. A fan of small blue and red veins around the ankle and the sides of the foot, which doctors call corona phlebectatica, is linked with more advanced vein disease and is considered a risk factor for leg ulcers; since 2020 it has had its own place in the international classification of vein disease. It is worth a phlebologist's check, especially with ankle swelling or changing skin nearby. A few spider veins elsewhere on the legs are mainly a cosmetic concern.
Related concerns
Sources
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Varicose veins: diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline CG168. 2013.
- De Maeseneer MG, Kakkos SK, Aherne T, et al. European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2022 clinical practice guidelines on the management of chronic venous disease of the lower limbs. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2022;63(2):184–267.
- Evans CJ, Fowkes FG, Ruckley CV, Lee AJ. Prevalence of varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency in men and women in the general population: Edinburgh Vein Study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999;53(3):149–153.
- Costa D, Andreucci M, Ielapi N, Bracale UM, Serra R. Occupational heat exposure and chronic venous disease: barriers, adaptations, and implications for sustainable workplaces. Healthcare (Basel). 2025;13(23):3145.
- Watson HG, Baglin TP. Guidelines on travel-related venous thrombosis. Br J Haematol. 2011;152(1):31–34.
- NHS. DVT (deep vein thrombosis). Health A to Z, nhs.uk. Reviewed April 2026.
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine. Deep venous thrombosis. Reviewed April 2025.
- Lurie F, Passman M, Meisner M, et al. The 2020 update of the CEAP classification system and reporting standards. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2020;8(3):342–352.
- Lessiani G, Gazzabin L, Cocco G, et al. Understanding CEAP classification: insights from an Italian survey on corona phlebectatica and recurrent active venous ulcers by vascular specialists. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024;60(4):618.
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Updated 27 October 2026