"Broken Capillaries"
What are they?
"Broken Capillaries"
Well, they aren't usually capillaries and they aren't really broken, but that's what everyone seems to want to call them, so ...
Technically these are "telangiectasia". Dilated venules - the tiny veins that blood passes through *after* going through capillaries. And, yes, they are stretched and dilated but not actually broken - if they were broken they'd be leaking blood and bleeding , causing bruising. But so much for semantics.
How are they managed?
The above linked Dermnetnz site lists four ways of dealing with telangiectasia, and we extensive experience with all four methods.
In each case, the goal is frankly to damage the interior of the "broken blood vessel" so that it shrivels up and no longer carries blood through it. Sometimes a patient will worry that we'll reduce blood flow to the skin in doing so, but such fears are unwarranted - these blood vessels are not functioning properly or usefully, and closing them causes no such issue.
1)) We most often reach for the 532nm Iriderm laser. This laser shoots a very-powerful green laser beam just 0.7mm in diameter - perfect for "spot-welding" telangiectasia that are sitting very superficially between dermis and epidermis
2) Some patients come in with broad networks of telangiectasia on their cheeks. It would take almost forever to "spot weld" every mm of such networks. It such cases, we find hypertonic saline sclerotherapy really useful. Each injection, via a 31gauge needle, clears one or more square cms of telangiectasia ... assuming, of course, skill expertise and care.
3) Telangiectasia on legs require a different approach. While our laser is useful for some, other telangiectasia rise to the surface then dip deep, like a dolphin, rather than following the surface. In such an instance a different form of sclerotherapy is most useful, so that's what we do.
4) Broad areas of skin redness, without vessels large enough to inject, respond best to IPL
5) Occasionally we will want a treatment effect to be highly localised, as would be accessible with our laser, but to a vessel running too deep for the laser to reach. In such an instance electrosurgical hyfrecation is the way to go.
It is thus very rare that a patient will present with a telangiectatic problem with which we cannot deal.
Every face is different.
Every face requires an individualised plan and approach.