Facial veins, or spider veins, are a relatively common occurrence for people over 50. These broken blood vessels can cause an unattractive reddening of the face. They usually appear on the nose and cheeks, but can also appear under the eyes or on the lower cheeks and jaw.
Facial spider veins don’t cause any other symptoms, other than their unsightly appearance, but they can detract from your facial beauty and leave you feeling not so confident about your appearance. Fortunately, there are non-surgical, non-invasive procedures to get rid of them, and even some steps you can take at home.
For information on facial vein removal and to schedule a consultation, contact Dr. Seth Matarasso in San Francisco at (415) 362-2238.
Causes of Spider Veins
Spider veins tend to appear with age, but not everyone is prone to getting them. Some of the factors that may contribute to their formation are genes, sun exposure, alcohol consumption, head injuries, pregnancy, exposure to certain irritants or pollutants or having a condition like Rosacea, a common condition that causes the skin to become flushed and red due to enlarged veins. Some people also develop spider veins in response to changes in weather conditions (pressure and temperature).
Removal Techniques
We offer two minimally-invasive, highly effective procedures that will rid you of your spider veins: IPL and the Candela V-beam laser.
While not technically a laser, IPL (intense pulsed light) uses an applicator to treat the skin with an intense light that targets the superficial blood vessels. The energy from the light penetrates into the deeper layers of skin and is absorbed by the blood vessels, without damaging the top layer. The light’s intensity can be adjusted for the patient’s comfort and the required level of treatment. To prepare for this procedure, a local anesthetic cream is applied to your skin, followed by a cooling gel.
The other procedure involves the Candela V-beam laser, which, like the IPL, uses highly concentrated, gentle pulsed light energy to destroy the broken blood vessels. The surrounding skin remains intact because the laser is targeted to the damaged vessels.
In both procedures, the light seals the veins and cuts off the blood flow. The veins are then reabsorbed by the body and blood flow is redirected to healthier veins that cannot be seen through the skin.
Everyone’s skin is different; some of our patients are effectively treated in a single session, while others might need multiple sessions to gain the desired results.
Home Remedies
There are a number of things you can do at home to prevent or reduce the appearance of broken blood vessels on the face. They include a cold compress such as an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables, or applying substances such as Arnica oil, apple cider vinegar or aloe vera to the affected area. It’s a good idea to test new products on a small patch of skin 24 hours before doing a full facial treatment to rule out any adverse reactions.
When cleaning your skin, you should always use cool or warm water (not cold and not hot) in order to avoid damaging the blood vessels.
Taking Vitamin C supplements can help reduce the appearance of broken blood vessels on the face as well. Also, many herbs may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. They include sage, calendula, oat, yarrow, marshmallow root, and chamomile.
You can discuss which home remedies you should try and what procedures are available to you with your doctor.
For more information on what procedure would work best for you for removing facial veins, please contact us today.
