My Skin Before Getting PDL
What Are Broken Capillaries?
Here is a close up of what broken capillaries looked like on my skin. Broken capillaries occur when the walls of the blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin are damaged and become dilated (aka enlarged). They can look like webbed spider veins, red splotches, or more enlarged singular veins. They usually pop up around your chin, cheeks, and nose — and I have a few dots around my lips.
What Causes Broken Capillaries?
The reality is that anyone can get broken capillaries, but they just tend to show up more on people with lighter skin tones. People with rosacea are particularly prone to broken capillaries — both rosacea and broken capillaries are aggravated by heat. Other things that can cause broken capillaries are pregnancy hormones, birth control, sun damage, drinking alcohol, a violent sneeze or vomiting spell, or even just simple genetics.
How Can You Prevent Broken Capillaries?
Dr. Herrmann said that lifestyle-wise, you can reduce your sun exposure, limit alcohol intake, and treat rosacea through a combination of dietary modifications and potentially prescriptions.
"Anything that causes too much chronic redness or inflammation should be avoided," she said, so you should also watch out for any harsh exfoliants — this includes microdermabrasion in your next facial.
Since heat and UV rays are the main things that will keep those broken capillaries coming back (and existing areas to enlarge), you want to apply generous amounts of broad-spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreen every day (even if it's cloudy out!). If you actually want to treat broken capillaries, Dr. Herrmann said, "The workhorse laser is the Pulsed Dye Laser, or PDL."