Facial redness is a common cause of concern for people. Perhaps because redness is associated with embarrassment it can become a real cosmetic and social concern and though harmless people actively seek treatments to reduce redness.
What causes facial redness?
Redness of the face occurs when small vessels normally located under the skin rise to the surface. The vessels can present in a variety of forms and from different causes:
1. Facial rosacea: redness from rosacea is in fact from a permanent dilation of small blood vessels under the skin. It presents initially as a tendency to flush easily, but progresses over years to a permanent state with red blotches or spots or more commonly diffuse facial redness.
Facial rosacea affects the nose, cheeks and chin more prominently and though the underlying cause is not really understood treatment of the redness from rosacea is the same as for other vessel causes.
2. Broken capillaries appear as isolated red spots or diffuse redness affecting the cheeks, nose, chin and even cause the red neck and chest we characteristically see in Australia. They are caused from sun damage.
3. Spider veins are a common cause of redness around the nose, on cheeks and chest. They tend to be more isolated and present as a red line on the face or start burst red spots on the cheeks and chest. These are also caused from sun damage and other trauma to the skin.
How to reduce facial redness?
Reducing facial redness involves treating the underlying cause, ie getting rid of the surface vessel and is most effectively achieved with intense pulsed light treatments.
How does Pulsed light treatments treat surface capillaries and reduce redness?
Intense pulsed light therapy is a revolutionary treatment using only visible light pulsed onto the skin. The light is absorbed by elements with colour in the skin, ie the red from the blood vessels. Once the light energy hits the vessels it turns to heat energy and shuts the vessel down.
Generally 4 treatments are effective to reduce face redness to a cosmetically acceptable level. It is possible to eliminate the vessels completely or at the very least see a vast reduction in number and size giving a very satisfactory cosmetic outcome.
