If you have visible blood vessels on your face or other parts of your body, you probably have a condition known as telangiectasia. These are also commonly known as spider veins, and millions of men, women and children have them as well. These are damaged blood vessels that are near the surface of the skin. Although they don’t cause any health concerns in and of themselves, they can appear unattractive and can sometimes cause discomfort. They can also be an indication of a serious underlying illness or condition.
What Causes Spider Telangiectasia?
Telangiectasia develops slowly over a long period of time, sometimes starting in the early childhood years. Using some skin and beauty products along with particularly abrasive sponges and scrubs can make them worse. Spider veins might be painful to the touch and might also itch. There is still no known cause for telangiectasia. However, genetic or environmental factors are believed to play a crucial role in the development of this skin condition.
In a few ways, telangiectasia is related to the skin disorder rosacea. Rosacea causes the enlargement of tiny veins in the skin and can aggravate the condition or be linked to it. There have been links to pregnancy as well, since pregnancy can add a lot of pressure to the veins of the body. The aging process might be another simple reason for its development, although many young people have this condition. Aging blood vessels can begin to weaken and cause them to take on that appearance over time.
How is Telangiectasia Treated?
No matter what kind of procedure you employ to remove the appearance of spider veins on your face and body, it will involve causing damage to the blood vessels in some way. When this happens, they collapse and form a scar. The scar that is left by their collapse will be much less visible than the blood vessels were. There are different ways of bringing this about.
Laser therapy is, by far, the most effective and convenient way of destroying veins that are affected by telangiectasia. The laser used in this procedure will seal the widened blood vessels and encourage their demise while greatly reducing their appearance. The pain, itching and discomfort from damaged blood vessels will also be diminished with this treatment.
For more information about your options for treating telangiectasia, reach out to our team at the office of Dr. Michael I. Jacobs in New York, NY. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.