Broken Blood Vessels and Brown Spots

What are broken blood vessels and brown spots?

Broken capillaries are tiny broken blood vessels that can be seen on the skin. They can be caused by trauma such as squeezing a pimple, sneezing, or vomiting. They can also be induced by excessive dilation or clotting of the blood vessels. This will happen with alcohol, hot showers, spicy foods, exercise, hormones, and sun exposure. Some medical conditions can cause tiny blood clots or inflammation in blood vessels causing red splotches. Here at Thomas Dermatology, we use state-of-the-art lasers to eliminate these broken capillaries. At home, lifestyle changes such as wearing sunblock, avoiding triggers, and treating medical conditions that cause broken blood vessels will help maintain your results.

Brown spots, also known as age spots or liver spots, are tan to brown areas of discoloration most commonly seen on the face arms, hands, and lower legs. They are caused by increased melanin (pigment cells) in the skin and are induced by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Those embarrassing brown spots can be treated by multiple modalities depending on your downtime. We here at Thomas Dermatology have found that combination treatment with lasers, good skin care, and sunblock work the best to keep those spots away.

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How can I get rid of broken blood vessels and brown spots?

The Thomas Dermatology team provides cutting-edge technology to treat broken blood vessels and brown spots. These treatments include:

Vari Lite

Vari Lite laser is an effective laser used to treat diffuse redness, broken capillaries, and angiomas. This laser has two different wavelengths allowing us to treat vessels of different sizes and depths. Vari Lite works by targeting oxyhemoglobin within the blood cell, this makes the vessels sticky and closes them down so they disappear. Typical treatments take 20-30 minutes, and your skin is usually pink for less than 24 hours following treatment. In most cases, 3 to 5 treatments are required, and a maintenance treatment once or twice a year to keep your results. For best results, it is recommended that you refrain from exercise, alcohol, hot showers or baths for 48 hours following your procedure. We want to avoid dilating those vessels during the healing phase. Sun block and make up can be worn post-procedure.

Medi Yag

The Medi Yag is our Q-switched Nd: YAG laser that is used to remove unwanted brown spots. A laser beam makes tiny pulses to break down pigment, which will then be removed by your body’s immune system. Two to four treatments are typically needed. This amazing laser is also used for a birthmark called Nevus of Ota/Ito, freckles, skin rejuvenation and tattoo removal

Photofacial

A photofacial is a gentle treatment with minimal to no downtime that uses customized intense pulsed light (IPL) wavelengths to rejuvenate your skin. The IPL delivers a scattered array of light wavelengths to treat large areas of your face at one time. If you have fine lines, age spots, uneven skin texture, and/or small broken blood vessels a photofacial is an excellent treatment option. These treatments are great for those that have both brown spots and broken capillaries as both can be treated at the same time, but typically multiple treatments are required for optimal results. Depending on your needs, a photofacial can improve your skin in several ways. It can help with:

• Dark spots: Dark spots like freckles, age spots, melasma, and other hyperpigmentation, are common signs of sun damage. To remove these spots, the intense pulsed light selectively heats the dark pigmented area without touching the healthy skin nearby. Gentle heat breaks the pigmented areas up and triggers your body's natural skin renewal processes.

• Dilated blood vessels: In much the same way that a photofacial targets specific areas of unwanted pigmentation, it can target dilated or broken blood vessels. The IPL heats the target blood vessels, which causes closure and fading.

• Skin discoloration: A photofacial can help with many types of skin discoloration, including rosacea and redness caused by acne scarring. The IPL heats the irritated skin and areas of inflammation to reduce redness and bring on skin renewal. 

• Lines and wrinkles: Photofacial bypasses your epidermis (the top skin layer) to reach your dermis, the layer of skin where you produce collagen and elastin. That encourages your body to make new collagen and elastin. Collagen provides skin support and fills in fine lines and wrinkles. Elastin improves your skin elasticity and works with collagen to enhance overall skin youthfulness. A photofacial can also be a good all-around method of noninvasive skin rejuvenation because it can improve your skin tone, smooth the skin, enhance clarity, shrink pores, and give you a healthy, youthful glow. 

Immediately after the photofacial, you may have some redness, and your skin may feel slightly sunburned for a day or two. If you treat any areas of hyperpigmentation, those brown spots may look like many tiny spots as your skin renews itself. 

Usually, you see skin improvements in about one week. For optimal results, a short series of around 3-5 treatments is ideal. It's important to use sun protection and look after your skin to maintain your results long-term.

Micro Laser Peel

For those patients with mild wrinkles, brown spots, and sun damage, we offer the Micro Laser Peel. Using Sciton’s Contour TRL technology the Micro Laser Peel removes only the superficial layers of the skin to improve the pigmentation, tone, and texture of your skin. Downtime is minimal so that you may return to normal activities more quickly. Treatments can be done individually or as a package of 2-3 for optimal results. 

Picosure Focus Lens Array

At Thomas Dermatology we use Cynosure’s Picosure laser for our Focus Lense Array treatments. This is a picosecond laser that creates microscopic photomechanical reactions on the surface of the skin to increase collagen and elastin. This no downtime procedure improves wrinkles, acne scars, and pigmentation. For best results 4-6 treatments are recommended.

Are photofacials right for me?

To find out if laser treatment, intense pulsed light (IPL), or radiofrequency treatments at Thomas Dermatology are right for you, the aesthetic team reviews your lifestyle habits, preferences, and medical history. They examine your skin in areas of concern before tailoring a treatment plan just for you.

What should I expect during my treatment?

During treatment for broken blood vessels and brown spots, you relax in a comfortable, reclining chair. You might wear special glasses to protect your eyes. Your specialist uses a handheld device to emit radio waves, intense pulsed light, or laser energy into your skin in problem areas. They may first numb the treatment area to reduce discomfort.

What happens after treatment for broken blood vessels and brown spots?

There’s no downtime after noninvasive treatments for broken blood vessels and brown spots, so you can resume normal activities immediately. However, you may have some swelling, redness, or tenderness near the treatment area for a short time.

The Thomas Dermatology team usually recommends a series of treatments, as well as periodic maintenance procedures to maximize anti-aging results.

To learn more about noninvasive treatments for broken blood vessels and brown spots, call the Thomas Dermatology office or use the online booking tool today.