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Monday, September 4, 2017

WHAT are Capillaries? You want to know about them, especially if you have red or sensitive skin!

Capillaries comprise part of the blood network to the skin on the face. They are weak by nature and very susceptible to “breaking or dysfunctioning. Unlike veins, arteries, and blood vessels that are very strong, capillaries are thin and fragile. Once damaged, the only way to reverse the damage is by getting them lasered. This does not truly reverse anything, but lasers can cauterize the capillary, rendering it invisible.  

Capillaries are very susceptible to extremes in temperature. If you are exposed to cold weather or put cold water on your face, the capillaries will constrict (contract). If you are out in hot weather—especially direct sunlight, a hot tub, bath, or steam room, the vessels will dilate or expand.

Sun exposure for long periods of time will weaken the capillaries. And going from one extreme to the other (hot outside to air conditioned inside or vise versa) will really cause trouble for these already weak-by-nature capillaries. Other extremes such as an excess of alcohol, smoking, or caffeine can damage the capillaries as well. (Alcohol and caffeine dilate, smoking constricts.)

The moral of the story is be very moderate with the temperatures you expose your skin to. With hot or cold weather, there isn’t a lot you can do, but you certainly can avoid putting either hot or cold water on your face. And if you smoke, drink alcohol, or are in the sun a lot, know that your capillaries are being adversely affected. Capillaries are very important to the overall health of your skin; be sure to take good care of them!

There have been and continue to be many advancements in laser technology that have proved to be beneficial for removing damaged capillaries, therefore reducing redness, from both face and body. The article listed below on IPL gives you more information on this type of laser procedure for broken capillaries.

For more information, see: