One morning, you look in the mirror and, surprise: a blue vein snakes across your arm, leg, or even chest. You’re sure it wasn’t there yesterday. And as is often the case in these cases… the questions come thick and fast: Is this normal? Is it serious? Should I be worried? Don’t panic, we’ll figure out together what it might (or might not) mean.

Before you sound the alarm, it’s good to know that in the majority of cases, these newly visible veins are harmless . Here are some very simple explanations: