Broken Capillaries and Facial Redness

Telangiectasias, commonly called Broken Capillaries, are open (dilated) blood vessels in the outer layer of the facial skin.

Telangiectasias are very common in healthy people and are usually caused by sun damage or aging. However, they are seen with a number of conditions, including acne rosacea, birthmarks, scleroderma, several types of inherited disorders, or with prolonged use of oral or topical corticosteroids.

Telangiectasias are common on the nose, cheeks and chin. Telangiectasias are red, blue, or purple linear marks measuring less than 1–3 mm in width and several millimeters to centimeters in length, and they can disappear temporarily if you press on them with your finger.

Facial Redness (erythema) is a condition that can range from skin that reddens occasionally (blushing), or to a point where the cheeks and sometimes most of the face is more often then not, red. People who have broken capillaries or facial redness do not necessarily have Rosacea but generally people with Rosacea do have broken capillaries and semi-permanent to permanent facial redness.

The causes of these skin conditions are unknown, but it’s believed likely due to the combination of hereditary and environmental factors. People with fair skin and blue eyes are more susceptible to suffering from them.