Broken blood vessels, also called telangiectasias are the fine red lines that appear on the nose, chin, or cheeks. It develops from sun damage, during pregnancy, childbirth, hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, and is commonly seen in aging and rosacea. Without treatment, the vessels slowly become more prominent and eventually they can become difficult to hide even with makeup.
The treatment of broken capillaries includes treating the cause with applications of creams or ointments, and use of oral medication such as antibiotics. There are other methods available for treating broken facial blood vessels.
Laser treatment – This is a common method to treat telangiectasias. It helps to restore the natural appearance of your skin. Topical anaesthetic cream is first applied to the skin to numb the area. The laser or intense light beam is passed over the reddened areas as the heat is absorbed specifically by the blood vessels. This damages the lining and helps to seal the vessel reducing the redness. Most patients notice slight discomfort during treatment. Some crusting may occur and quickly flakes off with gentle cleansing and the daily moisturisers. With any laser treatment complications such as scarring and blistering may rarely occur. Make sure that you use sunscreen on the treated area to prevent further sun damage and the development of new vessels.
Electrodessication – It involves use of a small electric current that is advanced through a needle-shaped electrode to destroy the blood vessel. This is less commonly used due to the risk of pitted white scars.