Broken Capillaries on the Face: What They Are and 6 Ways to Heal Them

Two women with reddened cheeks, possibly due to broken capillaries, stand close to each other.

Broken capillaries on the face are enlarged blood vessels that lie beneath the surface of your skin. But what causes them – and can they ever go away entirely? ​

Although not a health problem, broken capillaries on the face produce cosmetic concerns, such as reddened cheeks and blotchy skin. The disorder is common in people with acne, rosacea, and sensitive skin, and is caused by many different factors.

Contrary to their name, these tiny blood vessels are not really broken. The capillaries have simply overstretched to the point that they can no longer return to their original, smaller size, and remain visible as a result. Fortunately, for most people, they can be soothed using skincare, natural remedies, and laser treatments. 

Six Ways to Treat Broken Capillaries on the Face:

1. Use Soothing Ingredients

A woman applying face cream to soothe broken capillaries

When your skin is irritated or injured, inflammation triggers the blood vessels to enlarge. Inflammation can lead to a variety of facial concerns:

  • Broken capillaries
  • Redness produced by spider veins
  • Rosacea
  • Blotchy skin

Soothing and anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients can help you improve the appearance of reddened cheeks.

While many ingredients claim to be soothing, heparan sulfate analog (HSA) is clinically shown to reduce irritation and itching. HSA is a modified form of heparan sulfate: a naturally occurring molecule that strengthens your body’s response to injury. In one clinical study, our HSA-infused Dermal Repair Cream reduced the appearance of skin redness after four weeks of use.

 

2. Try Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

A young woman getting a face laser treatment for broken capillaries

Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, is an effective in-office procedure for treating broken capillaries on the face. This light treatment targets pigmentation in the skin to help you get rid of reddened cheeks. IPL can help most people get rid of 50% to 75% of broken capillaries on their face after only three procedures. IPL treatments work on deep layers of skin without affecting the top layer. As a result, it has a quick recovery time.

Here's how IPL works:

  1. A medical professional will use a handheld device to deliver light energy into colored skin cells.
  2. Once absorbed by the pigmented cells, this light is converted into heat energy.
  3. The heat damages and destroys the colored skin cells.

Your body then removes this damaged tissue, producing a more even skin tone with each treatment.

3. Opt for Laser Therapy

A woman undergoing a face laser treatment for broken capillaries

If you want to know how to heal broken capillaries on the face, you should learn about laser treatments. Laser therapy works in a similar way to IPL, but they use different types of light. While IPL systems deliver multiple colors of light, lasers emit a single wavelength of light energy. Because of this, lasers are far more precise and deliver better results.

While laser therapy offers one of the most effective ways to treat reddened cheeks, all lasers are not created equal. To get the best results, look for the Vbeam® Perfecta Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL). This laser excels in targeting and destroying red pigment in blood vessels. All you need are one to two treatments to fade broken capillaries on your face.

4. Apply Retinoids

A young woman wearing a hair towel and applying face cream broken capillaries

Yes, this gold standard anti-aging skincare ingredient can also soften the appearance of spider veins. Retinoids, also called retinols, are derivatives of vitamin A. When applied to the skin, they:

  • Help accelerate cellular turnover
  • Boosting skin renewal
  • Increase collagen productio, toning down reddened cheeks

How, you ask? By increasing the amount of collagen fibers in the dermis, retinoids can thicken the skin. This makes broken capillaries on the face less visible. If your skin can’t tolerate retinoids, you can use Senté Bio Complete Serum. Our retinoid serum for sensitive skin uses slow-release retinoids to minimize irritation. You can enjoy all of the retinoid goodness without any of its side effects.

5. Seek Out Vitamin K

A woman pumping serum onto her finger from a brown bottle for broken capillaries

Although not as well-known as vitamins A and C, you should add vitamin K to your skincare routine if you want to heal broken capillaries. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient that is found in leafy greens, vegetable oils, and dairy products. In a study published by the International Journal of Biological Sciences, vitamin K was shown to improve damaged blood vessels

Unlike its popular counterparts, vitamin K is compatible with all skin types and does not produce any side effects. To reduce the appearance of reddened cheeks, apply your vitamin K product twice a day ⏤ morning and night ⏤ for best results. Vitamin K not only heals broken blood vessels but also reduces inflammation to help you minimize facial redness.

6. Don’t Forget Sunscreen

Sunlight hitting a woman’s face, now free from broken capillaries

While not a treatment for how to heal broken capillaries on the face, sunscreen is essential to prevent their development and increase the efficacy of other therapies. Sunlight causes broken capillaries in two ways:

  1. The heat from the sun enlarges blood vessels
  2. The sun’s UV rays weaken blood vessel walls, making them unable to shrink after dilating

You’ve probably heard this a billion times, but you must use sunscreen every day to help your skin look its best. The sun not only ages your skin but also damages the blood vessels below it, giving you permanently reddened cheeks. Opt for mineral sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30 to protect your skin and achieve an even complexion.

Reduce Broken Capillaries with Senté

While reddened cheeks and blotchy skin due to broken capillaries don’t cause health problems, they can affect your appearance and lower your self-esteem. The good news is that there are many effective in-office procedures and skincare products that can help you get rid of broken capillaries. Shop Senté medical-grade skincare products to reduce the appearance of reddened cheeks within weeks.