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How to Treat Broken Capillaries on the Face

I Thought the Broken Capillaries on My Face Were Acne Scars — Here's How I Got Rid of Them

Oct 3 2019

I don't have severe acne, but I've certainly had bouts of troublesome and angry skin from time to time, which led to scarring . . . or so I thought. The scarring wasn't major by any means, but being a keen skincare and facial enthusiast, I always noticed the red marks randomly dotted on my face. Turns out the scars didn't have anything to do with acne or spots — they were actually tiny broken capillaries.

Ever the guinea pig when it comes to trying any and every facial going, I jumped at the chance to try a treatment at Debbie Thomas's Clinic in Chelsea, London. Thomas is the facialist of Dua Lipa, Naomie Harris, and Jourdan Dunn, so I knew I was in pretty good hands at the salon.

Ahead, get a closer look at the treatment that got rid of my broken capillaries, and perhaps consider rethinking those harsh acne treatments before slathering them on like I did.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

1 Week Before Treatment

Here is my completely bare face with blemishes and red scarring that wasn't major but noticeable to me. My aim was mainly to get rid of congestion, but getting rid of the scarring too was a total bonus.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

Before Treatment

This is the face of a gal who is ready for a treatment.

Every facial at the clinic is bespoke, so I spoke about my concerns (congested but dehydrated skin with a few "acne scars"), the esthetician talked me through a facial plan of action, and we got started.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

During Treatment

The facial involved hydrodermabrasion and audio sonic therapy, with the addition of non-ablative laser, a noninvasive laser that has zero downtime. (FYI, this looks way more scary than it actually was thanks to my incredibly red, reactive skin.) During my treatment, my facialist threw an absolute curveball and told me that the red scars I disliked weren't scars at all but were, in fact, broken capillaries. Say what?

Much to my horror, I had memories flash in my mind of all the spot treatments I'd tried on the scars and how I had definitely made the marks so much worse. Oops.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

During Treatment

Broken capillaries are small, dilated blood vessels that are visible on the surface of the skin and appear red in colour. They can be caused for a number of reasons including rosacea, alcohol, ageing, sun damage, and genetics.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

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During Treatment

After being zapped with a laser, I welcomed these incredibly cold balls on my face.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

Immediately After Treatment

During my treatment, the esthetician zapped the areas of my face that had some scarring with a laser, and much to my surprise, I didn't feel any pain or discomfort; it was easy-peasy. Postfacial, my face was very red, however, this calmed down within an hour.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

1 Day After Treatment

Excuse me, dull-faced Tori can't come to the phone right now, because she's f*cking glowing.

Capillaries aside, I had a G.L.O.W. All of my tiny red marks were immediately less noticeable, and my skin seemed much less red and angry in appearance. However, the scarring got slightly darker in colour, almost like blackheads, and took about seven to 10 days to completely disappear. I could wear makeup as normal the next day and following week.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

2 Weeks After Treatment

Hello, broken-capillary-free face. Not only did the facial help with redness, but it also helped with lots of congestion and gave me a glow that lasted weeks, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Next time, I'll definitely be careful before using any pimple treatments.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tori Crowther

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