Seeing a broken blood vessel anywhere on your body can cause you to panic. Even worse is when you look in the mirror and see one on your face. Those little purple or red spider webs reach across your skin like something out of a horror film. But don’t panic!
Broken blood vessels in the face don’t necessarily mean the boogeyman will jump out and get you. It’s common to have these little uglies on your cheeks or alongside your nose. All they are are enlarged blood vessels that sit right under the surface of your skin. They are so common that they have a name, spider veins.
Spider veins are particularly common here in Colorado because two of the causes are sun exposure and drastic changes in weather. Makes sense, right?
How Did These Spider Veins Get Here?
Don’t worry. You didn’t do anything wrong. Broken blood vessels on the face may show up in anyone at any age. Some people are at a higher risk of developing them, though.
You Can’t Control Your Genes (Yet)
If someone in your family has or had spider veins, guess what…you’ll probably get them too. Spider veins are passed down from generation to generation through genes. Not quite the heirloom you were expecting, was it?
You May Love the Sun, But Your Veins Don’t
The sun’s damaging rays can enlarge your blood vessels and draw them closer to your skin.
What’s the Weather Forecast?
Researchers have noticed that drastic changes in the weather may affect your circulation. When that happens, the skin in your face flushes, and your blood vessels may burst, causing a spider vein.
Pressure Changes Everything
An extreme, sudden change in pressure can burst small blood vessels. Even a hard sneeze or powerful vomiting episode is enough pressure change to cause small broken blood vessels to appear.
Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, we don’t have to tell you how hormones affect every aspect of your body and life. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause broken blood vessels, but these typically disappear after giving birth.
Environmental Ickies
You’d be surprised at how many irritants there are in your environment. Some of them you can control. Others you can’t. Exposure to certain chemicals or pollutants can damage your skin and make your blood vessels more visible.
The Realities of Rosacea
Rosacea is a common condition that causes enlarged veins, making your skin flushed and causing facial redness. It isn’t uncommon for spider veins to be part of the Rosacea experience.
Consuming Alcohol
Alcohol consumption causes blood vessels to dilate temporarily. If you drink alcohol frequently, you may suffer from long-term broken blood vessels and redness on your face.
Injuries, of Course
Maybe you get whacked in the face by a branch while on the slopes. Or knock your head on something. When a head injury causes bruising, broken blood vessels usually come along for the ride. Broken blood vessels caused by head injury bruises will often heal as the bruise does.
How Can I Get Rid of Broken Blood Vessels in the Face?
All it usually takes to diagnose broken blood vessels on the face is a visual examination made by your doctor. Once diagnosed, there are a variety of ways for treating broken veins. Because each individual is different, not all treatments work for everyone. If you want the spider veins gone, you may need to try a few different treatment options before finding what works.
Retinoid Creams
In some cases, retinoid creams effectively reduce the visibility of the veins and boost skin health. Although topical creams are prescribed for many skin conditions, Retinoid creams can dry out your skin and cause itching and redness where applied.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a non-invasive vein removal treatment that uses injections of sclerosing agents to make spider veins disappear in a short period of time. The injected agents seal up the enlarged and broken blood vessels, causing the blood that is visible just under the skin to disappear. This treatment is safe to use on your face.
Laser Therapy
Laser treatment is a non-invasive treatment that uses intense laser lights to destroy problematic veins. The intense pulsed light causes the blood in the vein to coagulate, which helps to eliminate the vein. Once the vein is destroyed, it is absorbed by the body, and the blood is redirected through other veins. This treatment is virtually painless and can be done in the office.
Is There Any Way to Avoid Broken Blood Vessels in the Face?
Once you’ve treated the spider veins and your fresh, blemish-free skin has returned, you’ll want to take some steps to prevent more popping up. As we said earlier, sometimes there’s nothing you can do to prevent broken blood vessels in your face, but other times there are, so take control where you can!
Extreme Heat is Not Your Friend
Stay away from very high temperatures like those you find in spas, saunas, or the summer sun. Extreme heat can dilate your blood vessels and increase your chances of spider veins appearing.
The Sun is Not Your Friend.
To avoid getting skin damage and broken veins, wear sunscreen, a hat, and long layers of clothing and avoid the sun during peak hours in the middle of the day.
Vasodilators Are Not Your Friends
Sorry folks, but things like caffeine, spicy foods, and alcohol cause vessels to fill with blood and may make spider veins more noticeable.
Protective Gear Is Your Friend
Protective gear is made to help you avoid injury. Wearing facemasks and helmets for baseball, cycling, or riding a motorcycle can help you avoid spider veins caused by injury.
When to See a Doctor
From a health standpoint, you really don’t need to worry about spider veins causing harm or bringing additional symptoms to the party. But who wants to go to a party, or anywhere really, with those little ugly red spider webs running across your face?
Broken blood vessels in the face are common cosmetic issues, and removing them is one of our specialties.
Are you ready to boost your confidence? Schedule your appointment at Denver Vein today!