What are facial thread veins?
Facial thread veins are red or purple broken veins and capillaries which appear on the face, mainly on the cheeks and nose. They occur on both male and female skin for a number of reasons including age, alcohol use, stress, trauma, smoking and sun exposure. While they are harmless, many sufferers choose to treat their facial thread veins for cosmetic reasons.
How can it be treated?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment can eliminate damaged veins and capillaries by targeting the light energy at the facial thread veins. The light energy is absorbed by the haemoglobin and converted to heat energy. This heat energy causes the blood to coagulate, resulting in the vessel wall collapsing. In time the vessel is broken down and absorbed by the body, meaning that the thread vein will no longer be visible.
How many treatments will I need?
Patients will be able to see an improvement after the first treatment, although the number of treatments required for full removal depends on the severity of the facial thread veins. Patients will discuss their treatment plan with the nurse practitioner at consultation.
Will it hurt?
The treatment is not painful and requires no local anaesthetic. However some patients notice a slight feeling of discomfort, which they describe as being similar to the snap of an elastic band or a sting. After the treatment, patients will be able to return to their normal daily routine immediately. Some patients may experience some redness around the treated area. This will subside in a few hours and can be covered with makeup.
When will I see the results?
Most people will see a noticeable improvement immediately, although it could require several sessions before you see the full effects of the treatment. The IPL and laser equipment used at the Manchester Clinic is of a high specification and so you can be assured the number of sessions required to treat you is minimised, saving you inconvenience and unnecessary expenditure.
