What can I do to prevent spider veins?  The bad news is that some of the  likely causes of spider veins will be with you forever.  These include hereditary factors - if you've inherited the gene for spider veins unfortunately you can't give it back.  You may have made other positive life choices - like getting pregnant - that will put you at greater risk of getting spider veins. 

The good news is that there are all sorts of other things you can do to improve your chances of not getting spider veins or to stop them returning once you've had treatment.  So we've put together a checklist for you to follow to help you keep yourself free of spider veins now and in the future:

Protect yourself from the sun: sun damage can be a contributory factor in developing spider veins so wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.  You should wear the highest factor you can whenever you are out in the sun, particlarly on areas prone to spider veins (legs and face).  Wear a high factor SPF on your face under your normal make-up or moisturizer. If you want tanned legs - and who doesn't? - choose an artificial sun tan product

Give your legs a work-out: Take exercise regularly to improve leg strength, circulation and vein strength - remember it's weak vein walls and valves that contribute to the problem.  Focus on exercise that work your legs such as walking, running, playing tennis, swimming, running up and down stairs

 Watch your weight: keep your weight under control to avoid placing too much pressure on your legs - stay within your recommended  BMI or Body Mass Index - extra weight further increases pressure on your already over-worked leg veins and vein valves

Fidget - its good for you! try not to sit still for long periods of time as this pools the blood and inhibits circulation - regularly get up and move around to keep your circulation going. Move your feet when sitting at your desk for long periods - a good tip is to do the exercises suggested on long haul flights at least once every half hour (rotate one foot from the ankle anti-clockwise ten times then clock-wise ten times and then repeat the whole thing for the other foot). 


No crossed legs: it may be sexy or even ladylike - but don't do it (certainly not for long periods) - it can inhibit proper circulation and cut off blood flow to and from the legs


Put your feet up: elevate your legs when resting as much as possible (not too difficult this one - try it with a magazine and your favourite drink!)

Don't stand still:  if you have a job which involves standing for long periods of time make sure you move around actively rather than standing in one place which allows the blood to pool and circulation to slow

Ditch those killer heels:  you may have a love affair with your Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks but high heeled shoes will do nothing for your leg vein health - you may still want to wear them but just don't do it all the time or for long periods of time.  The wisdom is they force your feet and legs into all sorts of unatural positions and put extra strain on those long-suffering veins.

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