177 Percy Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2JN

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SkinFit Face and Body Clinic | Hampton | London

If you are lucky enough to have been away on holiday then welcome back!

For those if us who ‘staycationed’ this year I hope you have finally dried out…:)

Ok so it is time to assess where we are at with our skin as the seasons change. Mostly you may find a subtle difference in the hydration levels and the appearance of patchy pigmentation caused by the increase in UV exposure however your attention may also have been drawn to those bothersome little things lurking in corners of the nose and on cheeks and chins – maybe even legs….visible red capillary vessels.

What are ‘broken’ capillaries?

You often hear them referred to as ‘broken capillaries’ however they are not always broken but sometimes just enlarged and in some cases the are vessels that have grown out of proportion owing to the body’s mechanism to fight infection- as with Rosacea.

What causes them?

GENES- if you know someone in you family who has suffered with red capillaries the chances are you may have them too..

HORMONES DURING PREGNANCY- a boost of oestrogen can sometimes play a part in the formation of clusters of new capillaries around the face and body

ENVIRONMENT- Exposure to the harsh elements can enlarge small capillaries especially on the face

SUN EXPOSURE- UV rays can cause the vessels to dilate, enlarge and come to the surface

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION- frequent alcohol consumption can dilate the capillaries and increase body temperature causing them to rupture near to the surface of the skin

ROSACEA- the low level bacterial infection in the skin’s natural oil glands that causes rosacea can induce a stress reaction in the skin. The body will try to fight the infection by creating a more prolific blood supply to the area around each follicle therefore exacerbating redness and causing sensitivity

PRESSURE- sneezing and coughing. Pressure directly in area can cause capillary damage which is why you sometimes see more appear around the nose and chin.

Whatever the cause, we don’t always like them and they are one of the most common complaints we receive from clients about their skin at this time of year.

How can we treat them?

So what can be done?

There are a few treatments available on the market depending on the cause of the problem.

RETINOL or RETINOIDS- help to improve the health of the skin and reduce the tendency for the skin to overcompensate with blood vessels. Especially good if the cause is environmental.

IPL- Intense Pulsed Light treatment – this is a good option if you have well conditioned skin but can cause heat and there are some possible side effects such as broader spectrum damage to skin that could happen

LASER- Can be used but again there are risks involved, one of them being pigmenting the skin.

SCLEROTHERAPY- injecting the capillaries individually with a solution that collapses the vessel. This is a traditional and effective way of dealing with broken and enlarged capillaries however the areas treated are small and can take a prolonged amount of time and sessions meaning that it is a more expensive option

THERMAVEIN – This is a specially devised low energy method of discharging a gentle amount of thermal current along the capillaries from the surface of the skin. The energy is attracted to the protein in the vessel and ‘sticks’ the capillary flat while pushing the blood back into the larger vessels. The origin of this treatment is from vein surgery and is often used to tidy up Telangiectasia (capillary matting) after the procedure.

The major advantage of this method is that there are very few if any side effects and no risk of burning or damaging the skin.

Here at Skinfit Face and Body Clinic in Hampton we are pleased to now be able to offer our clients Thermavein treatments!

Visit www.skinfitclinic.co.uk or call us to book your free consultation now and see how we can help you to find the right treatment for your skin concerns

Sam and the team

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