Treating Facial Veins: Top Tips & Tricks
Facial veins are unsightly. They tend to become more noticeable and numerous with age. They rarely go away on their own.
So are facial veins simply a fact of life? One of the inevitable outcomes of the aging process?
Yes and no. Yes, because facial veins are age-related and often appear no matter how hard we try to prevent them. No, because facial veins can be treated and in some cases eliminated using proven remedies, some of which can be done from the comfort of home.
If you’re starting to notice facial veins or worry that you soon could, here’s what to know about them.
What Are Facial Veins?
Facial veins are blood vessels that can be seen through the skin of the face and neck. While most are true veins, some are actually capillaries, or smaller blood vessels that deliver nutrients directly to cells.
Types of Facial Veins
There are several common types of facial veins. Each has a distinct appearance:
- Reticular veins: These are larger veins that visibly bulge through the skin. They’re often bluish or purplish in color and may appear around the temples or sides of the face.
- Telangiectasias (spider veins): These are smaller, redder blood vessels sometimes associated with rosacea, an inflammatory skin condition characterized by noticeable reddening.
- Varicose veins: Though more common in the lower body, varicose veins sometimes appear on the face and neck. They’re squiggly, larger veins that often appear in clumps.
What Causes Facial Veins?
Facial veins become more likely with age, but other factors cause them as well:
- Genetics
- Certain health issues, including cardiovascular problems and inflammatory skin conditions
- Environmental factors, such as sun exposure
- Diet and lifestyle factors, such as smoking and alcohol use
- Certain medications, including topical skin creams
- Pregnancy
- Localized injury
How to Treat Facial Veins at Home
While there’s no magic cure for facial veins, there are some affordable at-home treatments. These can temporarily lessen the appearance of minor facial veins or slow their progression. Some remove external factors that contribute to facial veins’ appearance, while others treat them more directly:
- Retinol skin care products: These prescription or over-the-counter products restore damaged skin and lessen the appearance of blemishes, including unsightly veins.
- Sunscreen or SPF moisturizer: These products prevent further damage that can worsen facial veins.
- Hydrating skin care products: These products support skin health and can slow the progression of facial veins.
Clinical Treatments for Facial Veins
The most effective facial vein treatments are clinical. They must be performed by trained technicians supervised by aesthetic medicine professionals.
- Laser treatments: There are several different laser treatments for facial veins, but all work in basically the same way: bombarding the veins with high-energy light to cauterize, shrink, and eliminate them.
- Intense pulsed light treatments: IPL treatments use a different type of light but otherwise work in the same way as laser treatments.
- Sclerotherapy: This treatment uses an injected solution to stop blood flow to the veins and, over time, cause them to disappear.
- Electrodesiccation: Though it has some side effects, this needle-based procedure is an effective method for eliminating certain types of larger, more noticeable vein structures.
Talk to your aesthetic medicine provider about the best option for your needs.
