Facial Redness from Spider Veins

Facial Redness, Spider Veins and Professional Advice

It's estimated that up to 25 million Americans live with some sort of vein disease, and one of the more common diseases is the presence of spider veins. And while spider veins can develop anywhere on the body, this post will focus on the presence of these unsightly veins on the face. Here's a look at what you need to know about facial redness caused by spider veins.

What Causes Facial Redness?

Facial redness is commonly caused by a condition known as "facial telangiectasias," which consists of broken capillaries and the presence of spider veins in the face, most notably the nose, cheeks and chin. Redness may also occur in the whites of the eyes. As you may already know, spider veins are small blood vessels that develop near the surface of the skin. While they can often be concealed elsewhere on the body, it's hard to hide them when they develop on the face.

Why People Get Spider Veins in Their Face

Though we have some good ideas, we're not entirely sure what the causes of facial telangiectasias are. Some of the hypotheses include:

• Age and gender: Specifically, it's more common in women ages 38 and up.
• Genetics: Do other members of your family experience facial redness? Then the chances of you experiencing it rise as well.
• Pregnancy: Facial redness is often one of the many ways pregnancy impacts a woman's body.
• Alcohol consumption: Facial veins often enlarge with the consumption of alcohol.
• Other potential causes: Prolonged exposure to the sun has been linked to spider veins, as have hormonal changes (i.e. menopause, pregnancy, etc.).

Other causes of facial telangiectasias may be linked to acne or a disease or a serious underlying health condition.

Tips on Prevention & Slowing the Damage

The bad news is that facial telangiectasias usually worsens over time. In other words, it's not a condition that will go away on its own. It's why prevention and treatment are so important. The best thing you can do after you notice facial telangiectasias is to seek medical attention. While the condition is treatable (more on that in the forthcoming section), it's important to rule out other, potentially serious medical conditions. Blood tests, X-rays and other tests are often administered to achieve this.

Common Treatments for Redness due to Spider Veins

Like we said above, facial telangiectasias is a treatable condition. In fact, in some cases, a topical antibiotic is all that's necessary to resolve facial redness issues. In other situations, however, people might wish to have the veins removed completely - either due to discomfort or their appearance. If that's the case, a vein doctor will typically administer one of the three following minimally-invasive treatments to resolve facial vein issues:

• Laser therapy: An effective treatment for spider veins, this involves treating spider veins with a focused laser.
• Sclerotherapy: This treatment consists of injecting the vein with a solution so it disappears.
• VeinWave: A new treatment, this procedure can easily treat even the smallest of veins.

Aside from being minimally-invasive, the aforementioned treatments are also outpatient procedures.

Contact Dr. Ives, Vein Doctor in Fairbanks, Alaska

For more information on treating facial telangiectasias and to view our spider vein treatment options, meet Dr. Ives in Fairbanks, Alaska today.