Skin vessels

Blood vessels are everywhere in the skin and are normally invisible. When they enlarge, multiply or sit closer to the surface, they become visible - as redness, as fine red lines, or as raised blue or purple veins.

This page is the overview of vessel-related skin conditions and the treatments used for them. The individual conditions have their own pages.

The conditions

• Broken capillaries and diffuse redness - dilated capillaries producing a flushed or blotchy appearance
• Facial veins and spider veins (telangiectasia) - discrete visible vessels, mostly on the nose and cheeks
• Rosacea - an inflammatory condition in which flushing, redness and visible vessels are central features
• Haemangiomas and cherry angiomas - benign vascular growths
• Port wine stains - see birthmarks
• Varicose veins and leg spider veins - a circulatory problem rather than a skin one
• Venous ulcers - a medical condition needing proper assessment

The distinction that matters most on this list: facial vessels are almost always a cosmetic matter; leg veins can be a sign of underlying venous disease, which needs ultrasound assessment rather than treatment of the visible vessel alone. Treating the surface without assessing the circulation beneath is why leg spider veins so often come back.

Treatments

Nd:YAG laser

The wavelength is absorbed by haemoglobin. Used for individual visible vessels on the face and, at different settings, for deeper vessels. Vessels are closed and cleared by the body over one to two weeks.

Laser Genesis

Gently heats the upper dermis across an area, reducing diffuse redness from dilated capillaries and stimulating collagen. Used as a course.

IPL

Broad-spectrum light for diffuse redness, and useful where pigmentation and vascular change coexist.

Sclerotherapy

A solution is injected into a vein, causing it to close and be absorbed. This is the standard treatment for leg spider veins and smaller varicose veins. Larger or deeper veins are treated under ultrasound guidance. Several sessions are usually needed, and compression stockings are worn afterwards.

Photodynamic therapy

A photosensitising agent is applied and then activated by light. Used for sun-damaged skin, precancerous lesions and some acne - not primarily a vascular treatment, and included here because it often forms part of a wider skin plan.

See laser treatments.

Who provides this

Facial vascular treatment is provided by our Cosmetic Doctors and clinicians. Vein work on the legs is led by Dr Tim French (MED0001790529), a phlebologist with AHPRA specialist and general registration and over a decade of clinical experience in venous medicine.

Me Clinic does not have a dermatologist on the team. Where a condition needs specialist dermatology, we refer.

Assessment

Before treatment your skin is examined and, for leg veins, the underlying circulation is assessed - ultrasound where indicated. Skin type is assessed too, because light-based treatment carries a higher risk of pigment change in darker skin.

Tell your practitioner about medications, pregnancy, a history of blood clots, and any bleeding disorder. All of these change what is appropriate.

What to expect

Laser and IPL sessions run 20 to 60 minutes depending on the area, with little to no downtime beyond redness and swelling for a day or two. Most people return to normal activity immediately.

Sclerotherapy involves multiple small injections along the vein, followed by compression stockings for a period your practitioner specifies. Bruising and discolouration along the treated vein are expected and settle over weeks to months.

What results are realistic

Treated vessels generally clear well. New ones form over time, because the underlying causes - sun damage, genetics, rosacea, venous pressure - continue. Maintenance is normal, and periodic repeat treatment should be part of your expectations and your budget.

Individual results vary with the vessel type, its depth, skin type and the underlying cause.

Risks

• Redness, swelling, bruising and purpura
• Blistering and crusting
• Changes in pigmentation, which can be persistent, particularly in darker skin
• Scarring, uncommon but possible
• Infection
• Matting - fine new vessels appearing near a treated area
• Brown staining along a treated leg vein after sclerotherapy, which can take many months to fade and occasionally persists
• Ulceration at an injection site, uncommon
• Allergic reaction to the sclerosant
• Deep vein thrombosis - rare, but a recognised risk of vein treatment
• Incomplete clearance and recurrence

See risks and complications.

Cost

As at September 2024 and including GST, a skin assessment is $50, a Cosmetic Doctor consultation is $150, and a vein consultation is $230. Dermal skin treatments start from $130. Treatment cost depends on the type, area and number of sessions.

Cosmetic vessel treatment is not covered by Medicare. Treatment of symptomatic varicose veins or venous ulcers may attract a rebate; Me Clinic is not a no-gap provider.

Booking

Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511, or use the online consultation form.

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.