How to Treat Unsightly Blood Vessels on the Face
Blood vessels on the face are a common problem. They occur more commonly in fair skin and sun exposed areas. They can be related to rosacea, medications, or sun exposure, but no matter what causes them, nobody likes them.
There are a few treatments for blood vessels, but before we get to treatments let’s talk a little bit about prevention. The first and foremost line of prevention for blood vessels on the face is sunscreen. Wearing an SPF greater than 35 will help decrease the number of blood vessels that you get over time. When we treat blood vessels on the face we always want to make sure that our patients are using sunscreen consistently afterwards to prevent new ones from coming.
Secondly, there is a B vitamin called niacinamide that you can apply topically. This topical preparation is anti-inflammatory, and we have been applying it in cosmeceutical preparations for many years. My two favorite products with niacinamide in it are the Elta M.D. “Clear” sunscreen and the Skin Medica Redness Relief Calmplex.
Another topical preparation for blood vessels and redness is a new prescription medication called Mirvaso. This medication is by prescription only and you will need to see your doctor, but it is new and available to patients now. This medication is applied to the face each morning and constricts the blood vessels on the skin decreasing their appearance. The great thing about this medication is it works within just an hour or so of application. So far, there is no evidence that this decreases the number of blood vessels that you grow over time but it definitely decreases the appearance of the ones that you have.
Lastly, if you would like a significant decrease in the blood vessels on the face we can treat them with laser. Both of the patients in these photographs were treated with intense pulse light laser for blood vessels.
As you can see from both comparison photos, immediately after there is some redness in the background from the heat of the laser itself, but the linear blood vessels on the cheeks and nose (first set of photos) and the chin (second set of photos) have completely disappeared.
In most patients we use a combination approach with sunscreen, topical niacinamide, topical Mirvaso, and intense pulse light. Over time, some people will develop blood vessels but this combination approach gives them the best chance of keeping them under control long term.
If you would like us to look at and treat your blood vessels on your face, call our Reno dermatology offices to set up a consultation.
~ Dr. Jennifer Janiga
