Facial vein treatments

Visible small vessels on the face - facial veins and spider veins, and capillaries and skin redness - are extremely common. They are not a medical emergency and they are not a defect; whether to treat them is a personal decision.

Me Clinic offers treatment for these conditions at our Malvern East clinic. This page explains what causes them, what treatment can realistically achieve, and what it involves.

What they are

Several different things get grouped under the same heading, and they respond differently:

Telangiectasia - fine red or purple threadlike vessels, most often on the cheeks and around the nose.
Diffuse redness - a generalised flush rather than discrete vessels, common across the cheeks and central face.
Larger blue-green veins - typically around the temples, under the eyes and at the sides of the forehead. These are deeper and behave differently to surface capillaries.
Cherry angiomas - small raised red spots, a different lesion again.

What causes them

The causes are not fully understood and vary between individuals. Contributing factors include:

Genetics - the strongest single factor for most people
Sun damage - cumulative ultraviolet exposure weakens the small vessels and the collagen supporting them. In Australia this matters a great deal
Rosacea - a chronic inflammatory skin condition of which visible vessels and flushing are features. Where rosacea is present, it is a medical condition that should be assessed and managed, not simply treated cosmetically
Ageing and thinning of the skin
Hormonal changes, including pregnancy
Alcohol, which dilates surface vessels
Long-term topical corticosteroid use on the face
Trauma to the area

Identifying an underlying cause matters, because treating visible vessels without addressing an ongoing driver tends to be followed by recurrence.

Treatment approaches

Which is appropriate depends on the type of vessel, its size and depth, and your skin type. Options include:

Vascular laser and light-based treatment - light at a wavelength absorbed by haemoglobin heats and closes the vessel, which the body then reabsorbs. Effective for fine surface vessels and diffuse redness. See laser skin rejuvenation, including IPL, Yag laser and Laser Genesis.
Sclerotherapy - injection of a solution that closes the vessel. More often used for larger vessels than fine capillaries, and used with particular care on the face.

Vessels around the eyes and temples require specific care because of the surrounding structures, and not every vessel in those areas should be treated.

What results are realistic

Treatment can reduce the visibility of treated vessels, sometimes substantially. It does not prevent new vessels forming, and outcomes depend on individual characteristics - vessel type and depth, skin type, the underlying cause, and how you respond.

More than one session is usually required, and maintenance treatment over time is common, particularly where rosacea or ongoing sun exposure is involved. Anyone promising permanent clearance in a single session is overstating what these treatments do.

Before and after treatment

Sun protection matters both ways: recent sun exposure or tanning makes light-based treatment less safe, and continued exposure afterwards undoes the result. Avoid sun exposure, solariums and fake tan before treatment, and use daily broad-spectrum sunscreen afterwards.

Disclose all medications, particularly anything that increases photosensitivity, and any history of cold sores if treating near the mouth.

Expect redness and mild swelling immediately after treatment. Treated vessels may darken before fading over subsequent weeks.

Risks

All treatments carry risks. For facial vein treatment these include:

Redness, swelling and discomfort during and after treatment
Bruising
Blistering and burns
Changes in skin pigmentation - darkening or lightening, which may be temporary or persist
Scarring
Crusting or scabbing of the treated area
Matting - development of fine new vessels near the treated area
Reactivation of cold sores when treating near the mouth
Infection
Eye injury without appropriate protective eyewear
Recurrence, and development of new vessels over time
Little or no response

Risk of burns and pigment change is higher in darker and in recently tanned skin.

Please read our information on the risks and complications of cosmetic surgery before proceeding.

Before you treat, get it looked at

Not every red or vascular-looking mark on the face is a harmless capillary. Some skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, can look like a persistent red spot with fine vessels in it, and treating one with a laser would be a serious mistake. Any lesion that is new, changing, bleeding or not healing should be assessed before any cosmetic treatment. See mole removal and skin checks.

Who performs these treatments

Facial vein treatments at Me Clinic are performed by registered medical practitioners and by Michelle Casey, Paramedical Aesthetician, with over 18 years' experience and more than 25,000 skin treatments.

Dr Tim French (MED0001790529) is a phlebologist with AHPRA specialist and general registration and over a decade of clinical experience in venous medicine. He assesses and treats varicose veins, spider veins and venous ulcers, and also has experience in skin cancer medicine and mole removal. He has worked at major hospitals including the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Adelaide Hospital, across neurosurgery, plastic surgery, emergency medicine, trauma and general practice. He holds an MBBS, a Diploma of Surgical Anatomy (University of Melbourne), and additional qualifications in phlebology and ultrasound in phlebology.

Registration can be checked free of charge on the AHPRA public register.

Costs and booking

Cost depends on the extent of the area treated and the number of sessions required. As at September 2024 and including GST, a skin assessment with a nurse or aesthetician is $50 and is redeemable on products or services; a consultation with a Cosmetic Doctor is $150; a vein consultation with a doctor, which may include ultrasound, is $230.

Me Clinic is at 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145, five minutes' walk from Caulfield station. Phone 1300 852 050.

See facial veins and spider veins, capillaries and skin redness, leg vein treatments, or all face procedures.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.