Facial veins and facial hyperpigmentation are particularly common around the features of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth. Their appearance is often quite noticeable and can cause confidence and self-image issues for some people. At South Charlotte General and Vascular Surgery, our vein specialists have years of experience diagnosing and eliminating these facial blemishes, including facial hyperpigmentation with the latest technological treatments available. If you’ve developed unsightly facial veins, or facial pigmentation, call SCGVS to schedule your consultation or book online and let us help you recover the look you deserve to have.
What are facial spider veins and port wine stains?
Spider veins are small blood vessels that have widened, causing a red, streaked appearance. These veins tend to form in clusters, producing a “web-like” appearance. They most commonly form around the face, but they can also form in the hands.
Port wine stains are a similar form of blemish caused by the dilation of blood capillaries, often forming patches on the face, lips, arms, or legs. These are a form of birthmark and often grow as you age. They persist throughout life unless treated.
What is facial hyperpigmentation?
Facial hyperpigmentation is a harmless condition that causes darker patches on your skin due to an excess of melanin, which is the brown pigment responsible for the color of your skin.
What causes facial veins and port wine stains?
There does not seem to be a single cause behind the development of spider veins, but rather, a combination of factors are thought to lead to these formations.
These include:
- Regular exposure to the sun or extreme temperatures
- Regular alcohol consumption
- Aging
- Overuse of corticosteroid creams
The sun is the biggest culprit in creating and exacerbating hyperpigmentation issues on your face. If you consider that your face is likely the most exposed area of your skin, this makes sense, making sunscreen one of the most valuable tools in your skin care arsenal.
Outside of sun exposure, aging leaves your skin vulnerable to developing darker patches as your skin progressively thins and loses collagen over time.
Hormones also play a significant role in hyperpigmentation, because hormones sometimes trigger your body to overproduce melanin. The phrase “mask of pregnancy” refers to the melasma, or brown patches, that often accompany pregnancy. The hormones in birth control pills have also been linked to the development of dark patches on your face.
What are the symptoms of facial spider veins and port wine stains?
Aside from their web-like appearance on the face, spider veins can occasionally cause physical symptoms such as pain and itching. If you have sensitive skin, certain soaps and creams may make the symptoms worse.
Port wine stains generally don’t exhibit any symptoms other than their reddened appearance. This hue can turn a deeper red or purple with age, and in rare cases, it might take on a rougher texture.
How are spider veins and port wine stains treated?
At SCGVS, our vascular experts take advantage of the latest state-of-the-art treatment therapies to provide fast, effective, and comfortable relief from telangiectasia and port wine stain symptoms. These include:
Excel V laser: The excel® V laser system is a state-of-the-art treatment option for a variety of conditions, including spider veins and port wine stains. Using a high-powered green laser, our vascular specialists can target these facial blemishes, disrupting and collapsing affected veins to restore healthy blood flow.
For facial hyperpigmentation, laser treatment will reduce the pigmentation. The Excel V laser light energy is strong enough to destroy the pigment, which then your body naturally processes and eliminates. Immediately after treatment, your pigment may temporarily darken before it sloughs off and leaves natural-looking skin behind.
Sclerotherapy is a very effective treatment option for spider veins, our vein specialists inject affected veins with a solution that irritates the veins. This irritation leads to inflammation, closing off spider veins and redirecting blood flow to healthy veins.
Once blood is redirected to healthy veins, the webbed appearance of your spider veins should quickly fade and disappear.
How many treatments will I need?
The number of treatments varies with the underlying problem you are trying to correct. During your initial consultation, our team will review your goals and recommend a treatment plan. Typically, most patients require several treatments, spaced a few weeks apart, for maximum effect. In between each treatment, your body is hard at work removing the old pigment and regenerating healthy, unblemished skin.
If you’re tired of waking up to unsightly spider veins and other facial blemishes when you look in the mirror, let our vein and skin experts help you.
To learn how to regain smooth, clear skin, call South Charlotte General and Vascular Surgery or book an appointment online.
