Broken Capillaries on the Face: Why They Appear and How They're Treated

What are broken capillaries, and what causes them?

A broken capillary is a small blood vessel near the surface of the skin that has widened and stayed dilated, so it shows as a visible thread. The clinical word for these surface vessels is telangiectasia, but most people call them broken capillaries or facial veins. They tend to gather where the skin is thin and the vessels run close to the surface, which is why the nose and cheeks are the usual spots.

A handful of things make them more likely:

• Genetics, which set how close to the surface your vessels lie and how easily they widen.
• Sun damage, which weakens the skin and the vessels over years.
• Repeated flushing, from heat, alcohol, spice or exercise, which dilates the vessels again and again until some stay open.
• Rosacea, which carries both diffuse redness and visible vessels.
• Skin trauma, such as pressure, picking, or harsh treatments.
• Hormonal change, including pregnancy.

Broken capillaries or rosacea? How to tell

This is the distinction worth getting right, because the two are treated differently. Broken capillaries are discrete vessels you can usually trace with your eye: a defined thread or web that holds still. They are cleared directly with a vascular laser. Rosacea is a diffuse, background redness across the central face that flares and settles, and it is managed rather than cured.

Many faces have both at once: a wash of rosacea redness with a few defined capillaries on top. If your redness is more of a haze than a line, it is worth reading about rosacea, redness and flushing as well.

Why do I have broken capillaries around my nose?

The nose is one of the most common places for them, and for good reason. The skin there is thin, the vessels are close to the surface, and the area takes more than its share of sun and flushing over a lifetime. The fine threads that run along the sides of the nostrils and across the bridge are classic broken capillaries. They are also some of the most satisfying to treat, because clearing even a few makes a visible difference to how settled the centre of the face looks.

How are broken capillaries treated?

A vascular laser is the direct route. Pink uses a long-pulse Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm, which is absorbed by the blood inside the vessel. The vessel closes, and the body clears it over the following weeks. Because the laser targets blood rather than pigment, it suits a broad range of skin tones, assessed clinically.

The honest note on comfort: most people feel a brief, hot sting as each vessel is treated, and the nose is the more sensitive spot. It is quick and manageable, and your clinician keeps each session to a comfortable length. Facial vessels often clear in a single session or a small number of them, depending on how many there are. Treatment is priced by the time a session takes, and the current prices are shown on the treatment page.

Pink's facial-vein treatments are covered on the Laser Vein Removal page.

How long before an event, and will they come back?

If you are clearing capillaries before a wedding or a milestone, give yourself room. Clearing settles over the weeks after treatment, and some vessels need more than one visit, so a few months of lead time is far more comfortable than a few weeks. Leave time, too, for any redness right after a session to settle.

On recurrence: clearing a capillary removes that vessel, but the tendency that produced it remains, so new ones can appear over time, especially with ongoing sun or flushing. Sun protection and managing flushing slow that down, and the occasional maintenance visit keeps the face clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes broken capillaries on the face?

They appear where small surface vessels widen and stay dilated. The common drivers are genetics, sun damage, repeated flushing from heat or alcohol, rosacea, skin trauma, and hormonal changes such as pregnancy. The nose and cheeks are the usual spots because the skin there is thin and the vessels are close to the surface.

Are broken capillaries the same as rosacea?

No, though they often appear together. Broken capillaries are discrete vessels you can trace, and they are cleared directly with a vascular laser. Rosacea is a diffuse background redness that flares and settles, and it is managed rather than cured. A face can have both at once.

Can broken capillaries be cleared for good, or will they come back?

The vessels that are treated are cleared, and the body removes them. The tendency to form new capillaries remains, though, so fresh ones can appear over time, particularly with sun exposure or frequent flushing. Sun protection and the occasional maintenance session keep the face clear.

Why do I have broken capillaries around my nose?

The nose is one of the most common sites because its skin is thin, its vessels run close to the surface, and it takes a lot of sun and flushing over the years. The fine threads along the nostrils and bridge are classic broken capillaries, and they respond well to direct laser treatment.

Does treating broken capillaries hurt?

Most people feel a brief, hot sting as each vessel is treated, a little stronger on the nose, which is the sensitive spot. It is quick and manageable, and your clinician talks you through it and keeps each session comfortable.

How long before a wedding should I treat broken capillaries?

Give yourself a few months rather than a few weeks. Clearing settles over the weeks after a session, some vessels need more than one visit, and you want time for any short-lived redness afterward to settle well before the day.

If a few threads have started catching your eye in the mirror, they are very treatable. See how Pink clears facial veins.