Reddish or purplish patches of blood vessels that have ruptured underneath the skin—spider veins, port wine stains and broken capillaries, for example—are called vascular lesions. Some venous malformations are congenital, or present at birth. Others develop and become visible sometime between infancy and adulthood. Congenital vascular lesions consist of port-wine stains (birthmarks), salmon patches, hemangeiomas, lymphangiomas and other venous malformations. Acquired vascular lesions occur later in life and include cherry angiomas, spider veins and varicose veins (telangiectasia).
Vascular lesions can be any size, shape or color intensity. When located on the face, neck, head and other body areas that are difficult to conceal, richly colored vascular lesions that dramatically contrast with the skin’s natural tone can cause deep-seated psychological problems such as social anxiety, social phobia and low self-esteem. While some vascular lesions may be small enough to remain inconspicuous or negligible to the person’s overall appearance, others are large and unsightly, sometimes covering most of a person’s face, neck, arms or legs.
Occurring in about three out of every 1000 births, port wine stains are enlarged capillaries that produce purplish-red stains on the skin. Most infants who have port wine stains have them somewhere on the face but birthmarks can appear anywhere on the body. Newborn birthmarks are pinkish and flat but as the child grows, the port wine stain deepens in color. Rarely causing an health issues, port wine stains occasionally grow thicker or bumpy over time, which may necessitate a different type of laser surgery.
Resembling spider veins when appearing on the legs, telangiectasias represent extremely dilated blood vessels that often occur spontaneously due to aging, hypertension, pregnancy, sun exposure or certain medications. This type of vascular lesion is frequently seen in port wine stains and acne rosacea and may vanish temporarily if pressure is applied to the lesion area. Telangiectasias conditions cause more problems aesthetically than medically, with many women attempting to conceal unsightly lesions with self-tanning lotions or liquid cosmetics. Fortunately, Exceptional Dermatology Care in Fullerton offers much more effective treatment methods that can improve the unsightly discolorations of telangiectasias and return your skin to its natural tone without anesthesia, surgery or downtime.*
Designed especially to relieve patients of unsightly vascular lesions, the Candela Vbeam® Perfecta Pulsed Dye Laser delivers bursts of intense, yellow light that coagulates blood vessels to diminish the fiery redness of vascular lesions and improve the natural tone of your skin.* Most patients see noticeable results after three months of treatment using when treated with the innovative Vbeam® Perfecta Pulsed Dye Laser.*
*Disclaimer, results may vary from person to person.
