Why Veins Look Blue?

Vein Looks Blue

Are veins blue in real life? If you look at the palm side of your wrist, you can see the veins, they too are blue. The vessels that bring blood toward the heart are veins. Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart and their pressure is significantly lower than in arteries. Veins have valves that help keep the blood moving toward the heart in the one way circuit.

Red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen to other cells. They do this with the help of a protein called hemoglobin. This protein contains iron and can capture tiny particles or molecules of oxygen. Hemoglobin proteins that contain oxygen make red blood cells red. When hemoglobin molecules don’t contain oxygen, red blood cells are blue. This is why vein looks blue.

A simpler test can confirm that though your eyes and brain perceive blue, the vein is actually a pinkish flesh color. The test requires two pieces of standard gray duct tape. Place one piece of the duct tape on each side of the vein, covering the adjacent skin. Once you see the vein all by itself, you can see its real color, a shade of pink.

It is considered that the oxygenated blood in the arteries is red, and that the deoxygenated blood in the veins is blue. While it is true that the oxygenated blood in the arteries is a bright red color, the blood in the veins is also a red color not blue. Why does the blood trickling out of a cut vein look bright rad? Because the moment the dark purplish blood hits the air, it mixes with oxygen and changes color.