What is the difference between spider veins and varicose veins?

Too much blood in a vein causes both spider veins and varicose veins. The difference is in the size of the vein. Spider veins are tiny veins, and varicose veins are much larger veins.

Spider veins are found in the thickness of the skin. They’re technically called telangiectasia.

Varicose veins are found underneath the surface of the skin, and they actually bulge, pushing the skin out as they get larger.

Someone with spider veins will not necessarily get varicose veins. They are separate phenomena. However, people with varicose veins will often have spider veins because the pressure in the varicose veins can cause smaller veins to fill with a drop of blood too much.