When most of us think of spider veins, we think of those tiny, purplish, weblike veins that show up on our hands or legs. But spider veins can form on your face, too, creating a flushed appearance and making you feel more self-conscious about your complexion.
At Starkey Medical Esthetics, Michele Meinhart, FNP, helps patients eliminate unattractive facial spider veins with state-of-the-art treatments designed for the thinner, sensitive skin of your face. In this post, learn why these veins occur and what we can do to help you enjoy a clearer, healthier-looking complexion.
Also called telangiectasia, spider veins typically happen when tiny blood vessels near the surface of your skin are damaged, interfering with normal blood flow. The result: Blood backs up, causing inflammation and making veins more visible.
Facial spider veins aren’t uncommon, in part because so many factors can cause them. Family history is a major determinant: It’s estimated that 90% of people who have spider veins have close relatives with spider veins, too.
Sun exposure is another major culprit. Over time, ultraviolet (UV) rays break down two key skin proteins — collagen and elastin. This critical change weakens blood vessel walls, making them more prone to irritation, dilation, and breakage.
Vein walls also become more common with age, making facial veins more common as we get older. Underlying skin conditions, like rosacea, make facial spider veins more likely, too. Other potential causes include:
People with sensitive skin or fair skin tones may be more prone to facial telangiectasias, too.
Like spider veins elsewhere on your body, facial veins can be treated, restoring a smoother, more even complexion. At our practice, we offer two primary treatments for facial telangiectasias: laser therapy and intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy.
Laser spider vein treatment uses focused light energy to target tiny veins in your face, heating the veins and causing them to collapse. Over time, the body absorbs the treated veins, which gradually fade from view, leaving clearer skin behind.
Because darker pigments absorb more heat, laser therapy is especially effective for treating darker blue or purplish spider veins. The precise nature of laser technology means only the veins are targeted, leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed.
Laser treatments are quick and cause minimal discomfort. Most people describe the sensation as a mild snapping sensation, like the snap of a rubber band against your skin. Afterward, there’s no downtime, and any temporary redness or mild swelling resolves within a day or two.
IPL therapy also uses light energy to eliminate spider veins, but instead of using intense, focused light beams, IPL uses broad-spectrum light. This difference makes IPL a good choice for spider veins, as well as sun damage and other issues affecting your skin’s tone and texture.
IPL targets tiny spider veins without harming the surrounding skin. It's especially good at treating tiny networks of veins that cause widespread redness. Like laser therapy, IPL treatment is well tolerated and involves no downtime afterward.
Spider veins may not be a serious medical problem, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them, especially if they’re making you feel self-conscious about your appearance.
To learn how we can help eliminate those tiny, visible veins, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Starkey Medical Esthetics in Salem, Virginia, today.
