Skin Specialist
Bernie Fahy
When you look in the mirror are them some unwanted friends staring back at you, reminding you that you are getting older? Red veins are a common complaint, and they can tug on your self confidence. For many women, covering up these unsightly blemishes is a tedious part of their everyday beauty regime. Men just put up with them, and probably secretly curse them.
Causes
Red veins most commonly appear on the cheeks and nose. They are the result of capillary damage that causes thread veins and blood spots. They are most common on fragile skin. Exposure to harsh elements, rough daily treatment and using the wrong products also increase the likelihood of their appearance.
Normally positioned in the dermal layers of the skin, the small capillaries dilate (expand) and rupture onto the surface skin cells, seeping through them in a thread formation, which is visible through the epidermal layers. The blood cannot flow back into the skin’s general vascular system, so it becomes trapped and stagnant – and causes those unsightly little red dots and lines.
Treatment
The individual vessels can be cauterised. This means treating the trapped blood in between the layers of the skin with tiny amounts of short-wave diathermy current. After the treatment, the skin might appear to be scaly or discoloured, but this tends to disappear with time.
Red vein treatment is not advised for people with suntanned skin or coloured skin, however. You should also do your best to avoid red-vein treatment if you have skin infections or cold sores near the area to be treated, or if you are undergoing an acne treatment. Your skin care specialist would be best to advise you on a suitable regime.
Bernie Fahy has over 19 years’ experience as a skin specialist. She works in Ballinrobe and Galway, and can be contacted at 086 2220125, at living@mayonews.ie or through her website, www.bernietheskinspecialist.com.
