Facial Spider Veins (Telangiectasia)

As I get older, I’m noticing many body and facial changes. My hair now needs added color to hide the grays which seem to pop up overnight. All the smiling and laughing I did while enjoying life on this planet has rewarded me with awesome smile lines. Squinting and stress have resulted in the dreaded “11” lines between my eyebrows. Also – this one I really love – the many moles I already have are now competing for skin space with red moles (cherry angiomas).

While I’ve been noticing these ‘additions’ for several years, I feel lucky to know there are remedies. Hair dye, Botox and annual dermatological visits are now on my schedule. However, recently I’ve seen a new change – fine red lines sprinkling across the bridge of my nose and my cheeks. These are known as facial spider veins or telangiectasis which are damaged and distended capillaries. Since I already have a red tint to my skin tone, I am not loving this additional redness. Thus, when thinking about what to talk about in this week’s blog, I thought you all might enjoy learning a little more about this common skin condition, what it is, what causes it and how (please!) you can get rid of it.

First things first: what causes Telangiectasia?

Telangiectasia occurs in blood capillaries that are close to the surface of the skin. As we age, the walls of our veins become weaker and more prone to distention and bulging. Because they are close to the surface of the skin, when this occurs, they become visible. Although they very rarely cause any pain or discomfort, they can, as in my case, cause the skin to become more red and result in people’s becoming more self conscious of their appearance.

There are reasons other than old age that cause swollen and visible facial veins, including:

• High estrogen levels. Been pregnant before and noticed an increasing redness? Likely, the extra blood flowing through your body is causing increased pressure on your capillaries on your face and is causing them to swell.
• Genetics. Ahhh… all of us with acne-prone skin know all about genetics when it comes to skin conditions! If your mom or dad have distended facial veins, you are more likely to have them as well.
• Medical conditions. If you have rosacea, liver disease, scleroderma, or lupus then, yup – you probably will have some visible facial veins as well.
• SUN DAMAGE. NOT sorry this one is In all caps because it’s huge. When you are in the sun without protection (read wide-brimmed hat, long sleeves and sunscreen), the UV light penetrates and damages cells to include the ones in your blood vessels. Eventually your blood vessels will dilate and swell. Add to that a sunburn when the top several protective layers of skin peel off, further exposing those shallow veins and you develop very visible telangiectasis.
• Alcohol. Alcohol is a vasodilator. Vein swelling is temporary but if you drink consistently, it will not be temporary.
• Increased pressure. What causes pressure? Illnesses (sinus infections), vigorous washing/scrubbing, pimple popping, extreme changes in temperatures… basically anything that puts your face under pressure can result in damaged facial veins.

What can we do about them?

Here is the good news, for you and me. You can pretty easily get rid of them!

While Facial Spider Veins cannot be repaired, you can simply just get rid of them altogether. There are several treatments available, some more effective than others. Ultimately, you will need to talk to your dermatologist about 1/ what treatments they offer and 2/ which treatment is best for your skin type.

The two most recommended treatments are IPL and laser. The IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is probably the most commonly known treatment and having actually done it myself, is very easy and generally well-priced. The intense light penetrates down to the second layer of the skin and disintegrates the offending vessels without affecting the top layer of skin. IPL is not recommended for people with darker skin tones as the light could affect the melanin and cause hyperpigmentation.

The second treatment option is laser therapy and may be better for people with darker skin. There are different types of laser therapy, so again, you will have to talk to your dermatologist about which is best for you. Laser is more intense, meaning that you can see results in fewer sessions. However, the downside is that there is a longer recovery time than IPL because the outer layer of skin is affected during treatment.

Again, these are just 2 treatments of many available. But we think they are the most common for a reason – they are truly effective and pocket friendly, which is always a good thing.

Do you have any other questions about this topic or anything else? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Email: clearskin@ninjaskincare.com

Call/Text: 925.933.8425