Causes of broken blood vessels in the face

Posted on 20 Aug, 2012

Many people have problems with pigmentation and tone in the skin of the face, and the most common problem is broken blood vessels.

What are broken blood vessels?

Broken blood vessels (also known as telangiectasia) are tiny capillaries that have become dilated, twisted or broken. You can spot broken blood vessels by looking for red, bruise-like spots that don’t disappear easily, if at all.

What causes them?

There are a few possible causes of broken blood vessels and capillaries, such as:

• Sun exposure – excessive exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun can cause broken blood vessels in the face, as well as spider veins and broken capillaries.
• Rosacea – a disorder of the skin that can cause telangiectasia, as well as a general redness and flushing of the face.
• Age
• Hormonal changes
• Genetics

Treatments for broken blood vessels

If you have broken blood vessels in the skin of your face, you don’t have to just put up with the problem. There is now a treatment available which makes use of lasers to heat up the damaged blood vessels and collapse them, without damaging the surrounding skin. Laser treatment can also effectively treat rosacea.