Veins on the face are red, purple or blue in colour. Spider veins are red and usually situated around the nose and cheeks. The vast majority of the face veins are bright red in colour because blood inside them has higher oxygen content. Reticular veins (dilated bluish vein ) are usually found along the cheekbones, around the temples and under the eyes.
Facial thread veins are very different from the veins found on the legs. Face veins are situated more superficial and have a lower pressure. These are also usually thin walled.
Excessive sun exposure causes spider veins due to damaging effect of the UV rays. Women who are pregnant, taking the pill or are undergoing hormone replacement therapy are also more prone to developing thread veins because of higher hormone levels. Too much alcohol as well as exposure to extreme hot or cold can also cause the skin to flush which again triggers spider vein. Fair-skinned people of northern European descent are particularly prone to develop them and old-age and sun-exposure thins the skin making these more visible. Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disorder which if uncontrolled can cause facial veins to become more prominent. Any injury or inflammation in the skin can also contribute to thread and spider veins. The condition is also hereditary. If your parents had problems with telangiectatic rosacea, you may experience it yourself.
Facial veins are best treated with laser or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). Sclerotherapy is not a good option for face veins because these veins drain into sinuses [blood vessels] around the brain. Injecting medication into facial veins can cause blood clot formation inside the skull- a potentially life-threatening condition. RF treatments or electrolysis deliver energy through the skin and risk of scarring makes these options unattractive.
The laser treatment works by heating the blood in the thread veins, causing the wall of the thread veins to collapse and be absorbed by the body. Laser treatment requires no anaesthesia and normal activities can be resumed immediately after the treatment. Laser vein treatment does not require needles or injections and it selectively targets blood vessels while sparing the normal skin structure.
The first step is to avoid excessive sun exposure since thread veins on the face are mostly due to the effects of the sun. Apply sunscreen to your face when going outside. Be gentle when you wash your face and use warm water. Don’t abuse alcohol. While these measures won’t prevent broken capillaries in every case, they can help minimize the chance that you’ll develop them.