How Dermatologists Can Treat Spider Veins Caused By Rosacea
If you suffer from rosacea, you may have noticed visible blood vessels, sometimes known as 'spider veins', appearing on your face. While these visible blood vessels are not dangerous, they can put a big dent in your self-confidence. Fortunately, dermatologists can offer a range of treatments that can minimize the appearance of spider veins caused by rosacea.
How Does Rosacea Cause Spider Veins?
When rosacea strikes, the blood vessels in your face skin dilate. When this happens, the skin on your face becomes inflamed, red, and swollen. The cheeks, nose, and forehead are most commonly affected, but more severe cases can affect most or all of the skin on your face.
The sudden widening and dilation caused by a rosacea attack weaken the walls of the affected blood vessels, reducing their elasticity. If a blood vessel's walls are severely weakened, they will not return to their normal diameter when a rosacea attack subsides, leaving them permanently dilated.
If the damaged blood vessels are close to the surface of your skin, they can remain permanently visible, even when your rosacea has not been triggered. These spider veins most commonly appear on the nose and cheeks but may appear on any part of your face that is commonly affected by rosacea.
How Can Dermatologists Treat Rosacea Spider Veins?
Over-the-counter skincare products and remedies may help limit redness and inflammation when you are suffering from an attack of rosacea, but they can do very little to mask the appearance of spider veins. To tackle these visible blood vessels, you will need to visit a dermatologist that treats rosacea and its symptoms.
Laser therapy is one of the most effective ways to reduce the appearance of facial spider veins. Dermatologists use specialized, low-energy lasers that penetrate the skin without harming it The heat they create cauterizes and seals the damaged blood vessel, minimizing its appearance. Don't worry — the skin will quickly adapt and grow new, invisible blood vessels to compensate for the sealed vessel.
Laser therapy may be unsuitable for people with very sensitive skin and/or darker skin tones. In these cases, sclerotherapy can be an equally effective alternative. During a sclerotherapy procedure, your dermatologist will inject a medicinal solution into the spider vein. This causes the vein to seal and close, providing the same benefits as laser therapy.
These treatments are effective, but will not protect against future rosacea outbreaks, which may cause more spider veins to appear. Your dermatologist can provide you with a range of preventative treatments to manage your rosacea and minimize the appearance of new spider veins.
Prescription retinoid creams are an effective long-term treatment for rosacea and can reduce the inflammation that causes spider veins to appear. Your dermatologist can also perform chemical peels and microneedling procedures to minimize inflammation and skin damage. For more severe cases, courses of oral antibiotics can also be highly effective at preventing rosacea attacks.