FACIAL RED VEINS

FACIAL RED VEINS

Are you self-conscious of red veins on your face? Perhaps you’re spending time and money concealing them every day?  Did you know they are easily treatable?

Also known as broken capillaries, thread veins and broken veins or to use their medical name, telangiectasia they are usually found on more exposed areas of the face such as the nose, cheeks and chin. They present as a permanent dilation of tiny blood vessels visible under the top layer of your skin.

There is a wide range of causes of facial red veins and they can occur across all ages. Some of the possible causes are:

• ageing (As we age these tiny blood vessels lose their elasticity becoming permanently dilated)
• genetics
• excessive alcohol consumption
• physical trauma (a knock or injury to the area)
• straining (through constipation, during childbirth or strenuous exercise)
• extreme temperatures & harsh weather exposure
• medication
• menopause (hot flushes dilate superficial vessels)
• over use of harsh exfoliation products
• squeezing spots
• eating spicy foods (if they cause your skin to flush)
• wearing heavy spectacles
• allergy which causes extensive wiping and blowing of the nose can lead to localised red veins
• They are commonly seen in an English rose complexion on a more mature client

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The treatment is a very effective and advanced electrolysis technique which involves dotting along the visible red veins with a very tiny needle, emitting a diathermy current. Each dot involves gently tapping the needle onto the vein. The heat causes the vein to be cauterised, which reduces its ability to carry blood, so depending on the size of the vein, treatment will cause redness to, either disappear completely or reduce dramatically. This effect is immediate and will happen at the time of treatment.

 

HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED TO HAVE?

This is always a tricky question to answer as the results depend on a few factors. Mainly:

• identifying the cause
• how many facial red veins are present
• how far apart the veins are
• how dark and apparent the veins are
• the condition of your skin
• how well your skin heals
• how well you follow the aftercare instructions
• All of the above will be discussed at your initial consultation.

 

HOW OFTEN CAN I HAVE A SESSION?

A minimum of six weeks must be left between each treatment session to ensure full healing in the lower layers of the skin is complete each time.

 

IS THE TREATMENT PAINFUL?

This is not a sensation-free treatment and there is some discomfort involved! It is best described as a hot pin-prick. The level of sensation does vary from one individual to another. My best advice would be to relax! If you are relaxed you are likely to experience less discomfort than if you are nervous and tense. You may also find the treatment more uncomfortable if you are tired, unwell or during certain times of your menstrual cycle.

Anaesthetic creams are not necessary or a good idea as they work by causing the blood vessels to constrict which means they wouldn’t be visible to treat.

 

ARE THE RESULTS PERMANENT?

This depends on the cause. At your consultation we will try to establish what the possible cause might be and discuss any adjustments that you can make in order to prevent more broken capillaries in the future. Once your initial course of treatment is completed an annual session is usually enough to keep on top of any new veins that may appear.

 

WHAT IS THE AFTERCARE INVOLVED?

Immediately after the treatment, the skin will normally appear pink/red, warm and possibly slightly swollen. Over the following 48 hours tiny healing crusts will form. No cleanser or make-up should be used during the first 48 hours. During the first 48 hours you will need to avoid the following:

• touching the area
• alcohol
• spicy foods
• exercise
• anything which causes sweating (saunas, steam rooms etc)

Once formed the healing crusts must be kept as dry as possible and must not be knocked or picked off. They will naturally lift off after 5-7 days. Early removal of the healing crusts can delay healing and can negate the treatment.

You will be best advised to plan your treatment sessions into your schedule when you have a few days to allow the initial healing to take place. This is not a treatment to have immediately before a big occasion.

Once the healing crusts have fallen off, SPF50 or SPF40 must be used on the treated area for at least 6 weeks. Actively sunbathing must be avoided. The area treated and any area showing an ongoing tendency to facial red veins must be protected by a sunscreen. If you’ve read any of my blogs you’ve probably gathered that I am a huge advocate for wearing SPF daily, all year round. SPF really is your BFF!
 

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO PRIOR TO THE TREATMENT TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE?

Yes. Arrive for your appointment make-up free. Removing make-up just before the treatment may result in unnecessary stimulation of your skin, causing redness before we’ve even started.

Use a gentle exfoliator (one with AHA’s, fruit acids or enzymes, NOT a granular one) a couple of days prior to your treatment. This will remove any dead skin cells. If dead skin cells are present at the time of treatment they are picked up on the probe throughout the treatment. The constant cleaning of the probe this causes slows down the progress I can make.

 

I HAVE VEINS ON MY BODY. CAN THESE BE TREATED?

The method we use is advanced electrolysis, also known as diathermy. It is only suitable for the bright red superficial veins on the face and décolleté (upper chest). It is not suitable for the deeper veins on the body.

 

I HAVE VEINS THAT ARE PURPLE OR BLUE IN COLOUR. CAN THESE BE TREATED?

No. Veins that are purple or blue in colour are deeper in the skin and cannot be treated with the method we use.

 

ARE THERE ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM BEING SUITABLE FOR THIS TREATMENT?

Yes. At your consultation and initial assessment, we would check for any medical conditions that would prevent us from going ahead with the treatment. To prevent you a wasted the journey the following conditions would mean you are unsuitable:

• cochlear implants
• history of keloid scarring
• haemophilia
• pacemaker
• taking blood thinning medication (Warfarin or aspirin)
• diabetes
• epilepsy
• high blood pressure
• any vascular or circulatory disorders
• recent suntan (you will need to wait until it has faded)
• recent scar tissue in the area to be treated
• use of retinol, Retin A or tretinoin on the area to be treated
•  It is vital for effective and safe treatment that you are honest when answering the questions at your consultation.

WHAT IS THE COST OF TREATMENT?

If your veins are numerous and close together it will not be possible to treat them all in one session as the area would become overworked. A course will be required.

We can work on one area for up to 15 minutes before moving onto the next area. For example, each cheek would class as one area so we could work on each cheek for up to 15 minutes before moving to the other side.

Up to 15 minutes	£63.00
Up to 30 minutes	£126.00