Spider veins — those colorful blood vessels — are almost as scary as spiders themselves. Although some instances might be inevitable, we looked up a handful of ways to prevent a whole slew of them. Read on to see what you can do!

I’m only 24, an age I thought too young to start noticing jagged little veins popping up on my upper legs. After the initial shock, I showed my boyfriend what I had found. He responded unfavorably with something along the lines of, “Aww! Cute! You have little spider veins, baby!” But my mom has spider veins! Substitute teachers have those! Other people who are older, but not me.

Except I totally do have them. My job calls for me hunker down in a stationary seated position for hours on end. So spider veins happen, and they happen to most women. Those little buggers can show up as early as age 18. And even though they will happen, there are a few ideas ehow offers on how to at least slow down their takeover of your thighs.


1. Avoid crossing your legs. When you fold your lower limbs all over each other, you cut off blood flow and increase pressure. Then boom! more veins are born and sadness ensues. If you must, cross your ankles. If your office is especially lax, you could go for the ever-hip A.C. Slater style of seating as shown above.

2. Stick with flats. The pressure from heels also screw up the blood flow between your legs and heart. So walk easier and keep that circulation zoomin’ with flats!

3. Maintain a healthy body weight. When your body gets too heavy for your frame, your circulation goes into overload to get its job done. The extra work put in can stress veins all over your body, causing them to grow brighter and more visibly obvious. The National Heart Blood and Lung Institute offers tips on finding your healthy weight and maintaining it.

4. Try not to stand still for too long. Although a lot of you Lovelies have sales clerk gigs that require you to do so, you can still squeeze in some minor leg exercises in between customers. Try a little jig when no one’s looking or even just alternate folding your knee behind you every so often. Another option to boost blood flow is mild compression hosiery — there are surprisingly some cute styles but if your budget is a little thin, you could always get some plain ones and wear them beneath knee socks or jeans.

5. Exercise on a regular schedule.  Yeah, sorry, it’s the no-brainer one. But even so much as walking to your dinner date or getting out one train station before yours and hoofing home can really make a difference in your circulation. Try it!
What tips do you have in battling spider veins? Or are they not an issue for you? If yes to that last question, I am very jealous.