What are reticular veins?

Some veins on the legs are not quite spider veins and not quite varicose veins, and the name "reticular" is the one people trip over. Here is what one source says about them.

What makes a vein reticular

On what reticular veins are, my.clevelandclinic.org states: "Reticular veins, like varicose veins, are actually damaged veins. This makes them different from spider veins." The useful point is the word damaged: it separates reticular veins from spider veins, which the same source treats as a different thing.

Guides to the neighboring vein conditions

To compare the neighboring conditions, my.clevelandclinic.org has guides to venous disease, varicose veins and spider veins.

What to ask a clinician

A reader in Mokena or New Lenox Township who spots these veins should ask the clinician which type they are looking at before any treatment is discussed. Do not accept a vague "just cosmetic" or "just spider veins" without that being named.