Answer:
One of the most common side effects from long-term sun exposure, or from the chronic skin condition called rosacea, is the development of tiny enlarged facial blood vessels. Although many people call them spider veins, they actually have a medical name called telangiectasia, or enlarged vessels. Patients have asked dermatologists for treatment of these for decades. In the past, the main treatment involved the use of a small electric needle. When the heat of the needle touched the vessels, they would close and look better after a few weeks of healing.
During the last 15 years, much better tools have become available to treat telangiectasia. The first is the Diolite laser that treats each of the little vessels one at a time by pulsing the laser light over each spot. A better laser is the Q-switched pulsed dye laser that allows dermatologists to treat much larger areas and much faster than other lasers. The size of a dime can be treated with one pulse. Patients often ask to have a whole face treated in one session to reduce the redness caused by the many small vessels.
The main side effect of the Q-switched pulsed dye laser is the temporary development of purple bruises that can last up to two weeks if the treatment is aggressive. Bruising can be reduced by using less energy during the treatment. However, lowering the energy will require the patient to have more treatments to achieve the best results.
If a patient has true rosacea, the use of a cream like Metrogel can reduce the development of the vessels over time. However, it is not a cure. Some patients benefit from the use of long-term antibiotics such as doxycycline orally or clindamycin topically. Another prescription cream called Finacea gel has shown to reduce the redness caused by rosacea.
During the last 15 years, much better tools have become available to treat telangiectasia. The first is the Diolite laser that treats each of the little vessels one at a time by pulsing the laser light over each spot. A better laser is the Q-switched pulsed dye laser that allows dermatologists to treat much larger areas and much faster than other lasers. The size of a dime can be treated with one pulse. Patients often ask to have a whole face treated in one session to reduce the redness caused by the many small vessels.
The main side effect of the Q-switched pulsed dye laser is the temporary development of purple bruises that can last up to two weeks if the treatment is aggressive. Bruising can be reduced by using less energy during the treatment. However, lowering the energy will require the patient to have more treatments to achieve the best results.
If a patient has true rosacea, the use of a cream like Metrogel can reduce the development of the vessels over time. However, it is not a cure. Some patients benefit from the use of long-term antibiotics such as doxycycline orally or clindamycin topically. Another prescription cream called Finacea gel has shown to reduce the redness caused by rosacea.