Veins, Vessels, and Rosacea

Broken blood vessels (or dilated capillaries) are visible enlarged blood vessels that appear on the face and other body parts.  They are fine, red, purple, pink thread-like veins commonly located on the nose, cheeks, and chin.  When a large number of capillaries are clustered together they may have the appearance of a red patch or a bruise that never disappears.

People who are commonly affected by rosacea and broken blood vessels are fair in skin complexion.  Other factors that may worsen facial redness and broken facial blood vessels (capillaries) include trauma, older age, genetics, hormones, and harsh environmental conditions like sun and wind.

Rosacea patients are a unique group of people predisposed to redness and broken blood vessels.  Their diagnosis is usually made between the ages of 30-50 years of age.  The exact cause of rosacea is not yet known, but it definitely runs in families.  Rosacea patients may also have an acne component to their face.  However, unlike traditional acne, acne rosacea patients do not have open comedones (blackheads).

Other vascular lesions we treat include:

  • Port wine stains or vascular malformations

  • Superficial hemangiomas

  • Telangiectasia

  • Cherry angiomas

  • Poikiloderma of Civatte (a common sign of chronic sun damage on the side of one’s neck)

Intense Pulsed Light Treatments

Our Fotofacial is a treatment s that uses combined Intense Pulsed Light and Radio Frequency (RF) energy. Treatments renew the health and vitality of your skin and can be administered to the face, neck, hands or any area where signs of aging, sun damage, vascular conditions or brown spots are of concern. Fotofacial RF treatments are recognized as a leading treatment option for non-ablative skin rejuvenation.

The wide range of benefits that can be realized through Fotofacial RF treatments include:

  • Reduction in the signs of aging

  • Improvement to sun damaged and photo-aged skin

  • The treatment of brown spots such as sun spots, age spots, hyperpigmentation

  • The treatment of vascular conditions such as rosacea, broken capillaries and spider veins

Pulsed Dye Laser

This laser is an excellent option for those looking for a safe and effective means to treat:

  • Telangiectasia or facial and nasal spider veins

  • Rosacea or red facial lesions

  • Port Wine Stains or red birthmarks

  • Some types of scars

  • Patchy discoloration of the skin

These potential benefits are achieved through the laser’s selective targeting of the blood vessels that create the vascular condition without adversely affecting the surrounding tissue.

Sclerotherapy

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Sclerotherapy is a technique used to treat unwanted spider veins particularly those in the lower extremities. Spider veins are small superficial vessels of red or blue color that appear on the surface of the skin.

Although spider veins do carry blood, they are not necessary and therefore can be easily treated. Treatment consists of a series of injections, directly into the veins using a very fine needle. The sclerosing solution that is used irritates the lining of the vessels being treated causing them to swell, stick together and collapse.

The body’s immune system finishes the process by clearing away the collapsed vessels. It is usually necessary to have several treatments done at 4-6 week intervals. A test dose may be required before you begin your Sclerotherapy treatments.

 

Disclaimer: Results may vary from patient to patient.