Facial Spider & Thread Veins: Treatment Options

Broken capillaries, known as facial spider or thread veins, are a common skin concern. Medically known as telangiectasia, they present as thin, broken red or purple lines just under the surface of the skin of the face, and they can be difficult to conceal.

What are the different types of facial veins?

Spider veins are caused by the tiny blood vessels that are present just beneath the skin’s surface becoming dilated or broken. They can resemble a spider as they have a small red dot in the centre with thin red or purple lines extending outward. They are most commonly found around the nose.

Reticular veins are typically larger than spider veins and have a blue-green colour. They are more common on the cheeks, temples and brows.

Varicose veins usually occur on the lower legs but can appear on the face. They are formed by larger blood vessels and are bluish in colour.

What causes spider and thread veins to appear?

Thread veins can appear on any type of skin or at any age, although they tend to become more noticeable as we get older, and the skin thins.

Other causes include rosacea which is a chronic skin condition. The blood vessels of the face dilate, resulting in the facial flushing associated with rosacea. As the condition progresses, the blood vessels can become permanently dilated, leading to the appearance of permanent facial spider and thread veins.

Extreme temperature changes can also result in facial veins. The capillaries expand and contract according to changes in temperature, but repeated exposure can damage them. Avoid physical pressure, which can also damage the capillaries.

What are the best treatments for facial spider and thread veins?

VBeam is a pulse dye laser which is the gold standard for treating vascular skin concerns and is particularly effective at eliminating facial spider and thread veins. Controlled laser energy is attracted to the pigment colour in the broken capillary and destroys the blood vessel without damaging the surrounding tissue.

Most patients report a mild warming sensation as the blood vessels are heated until they collapse. They are then just naturally eliminated from the body.

ASSOCIATED PROCEDURES: VBeam