Broken capillaries and facial telangiectasias are usually not that common in the Asian population but I am definitely seeing more of these problems than 5 years ago. They are usually present in those with thin skin, too much unprotected sun exposure and also due to Aging .
Of more recent interest is the association of increased vascularity which can manifest as such with a condition known as Melasma.
The treatment options will usually be the use of a IPL ( Intense Pulse Light ) device which has multiple wavelengths or colours of light in the same pulse or vascular lasers with dedicated fixed wavelength of light eg 532 nm ( green ) or 595 nm ( yellow ) . Generally it will require less treatments with the vascular lasers compared to IPL to achieve the same results.
In my practice I use the Excel V laser from Cutera which is a tunabke laser system with 2 best in class wavelengths ( 532/ 1064 nm ) in one device. To treat facial telangiectasia I use the 532nm wavelength with sapphire contact cooling which offers continuous cooling before, during and after each laser pulse to ensure a high level of patient comfort and eliminating the risk of undercooled and over treated areas.
What the laser does is that 532nm is optimised for absorption for oxyhaemoglobin ( what is present in the blood vessels ) . The absorption of the laser energy causes a coagulation like effect causing the vessels wall to collapse. The resulting “ dried up “ vessels will then be cleared by the body’s system much like in the clearance of a bruise.
Depending on the severity and size of the broken capillaries it may take 1-3 sessions to clear them . The procedure is safe with little to no downtime.
Hope this helps .
Regards Dr Chew
