I''m 26 and I noticed I have a few spider veins on the outer sides of my thighs. That happens to be an area with some stretch marks as well. My legs still feel smooth to the touch but you can see a few very thin purple lines.

I have high cholesterol (220), although I exercise and weigh only 113lbs (5''4'''' tall). Besides, my father (who is 86 but very healthy and with much lower cholesterol levels) has very ugly spider veins and varicose veins. Do these factors indicate that my veins will get bigger as I age? Does sunbathing have any influence on them at all? I heard it helps with arthritis and other things.

As a side note, a 5-year-old girl that I care for has the same thin veins as me on her cheeks and on her back close to her neck. She''s shown some (I think premature) signs of acne on occasion too. Her diet includes a LOT of cheese, butter, oil, meats, cream and other fats. Some people think if she craves fat, it''s because she needs it. (She''s very skinny). But are these veins normal on a child so young? Her parents and grandparents don''t have them.