Surprisingly, the percentage of men who have varicose veins is not vastly smaller than women. According to a Stanford Hospital and Clinics study, approximately 45 percent of men develop varicose veins. Of that 45 percent, though, only 10 to 15 percent will have visible varicose veins compared to 25 percent of the cases for women. Another factor is appearance. Women are more likely to seek treatment when veins first become noticeable while men tend to wait until varicose veins cause pain and discomfort. Men are also more comfortable with the appearance of smaller varicose veins since the terminal hair on men’s legs hides these “imperfections.”
Men are typically more active than women and will experience leg injuries more frequently. This is another factor that may lead to varicose veins, along with straining the abdominal region from exertions such as lifting weights. In older men, inactivity and constipation — hemorrhoids are localized varicose veins — are other risk factors.