Unlike the unsightly varicose veins in the legs, which you should always have checked for underlying medical causes, the bulging veins in your hands are not a health risk. They are, however, still a cause of angst for many Americans. If you don’t like how your hands look, especially as you are aging, they can be removed to give your hands a smoother and more youthful look.

Through sun damage and thinning of the skin, veins can become more visible under the skin. Skin becomes less elastic with age, which causes the veins to dilate, leading to a “ropey” and more prominent appearance. Fortunately, most visible veins in the skin are merely a cosmetic issue rather than a significant health concern. Treatment is relatively pain-free, and in most cases, you will not have restricted activity after the first day or two after treatment.

At The Vein Institute, Dr. Gardner has a number of treatment methods available to restore hands to a more youthful appearance. His treatment plan may address several of the key components of the aging hand. He may offer treatment of the bulging veins, soft-tissue volume loss, and thinning discolored skin using a combination of methods. Sclerotherapy (via liquid or foam), microphlebectomy, and endovenous laser ablation are all excellent procedures for the treatment of bulging hand veins.

Volume loss can be treated with man-made fillers (such as Radiesse) or fat transfer. The skin itself can be treated with laser and light-emitting (energy) devices in order to stimulate collagen growth, which helps thicken the skin and improve the appearance of pigment skin changes or sunspots.