Last week we talked about Rosacea. This week we are going to cover Telangiectasias or Couperose skin. Which can most often be associated with Rosacea. Vascular lesions are visible conditions that involve the blood or blood circulatory system. The most common form are telangiectasias: small, red, enlarged capillaries on the face and other parts of the body. These are "broken capillaries" they aren't actually broken but that is how people refer to them. They are simply dilated or new extensions of deeper capillaries that have developed near the surface of the skin. Telangiectasias are unfortunately permenant and are caused by a variety of factors, including sun exposure, extreme temperatures, friction, high blood pressure and injury to the skin. Avoiding hot temperatures and sun exposure beforehand will help reduce the possibility of the developement of these tiny red lines. They can be caused or worsened by vasodilators, which are medications or substances that cause dilation of the blood vessels. Alcohol and tabacco are included in being vasodilators. Alcoholics tend to have many telangiectasias. It can also be associated with Rosacea but it is important to note that not all people with these fine red lines have Rosacea. But almost all people with Rosacea have these fine red lines. They are too deep in the skin to be affected or improved by ordinary esthetic treatment but starting on a vitamin A rich moisturizer does help thicken and strengthen the skin to prevent new ones from emerging. Most telangiectasias are just a beauty nuisance but they can be treated by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon using a special type of current called Diathermy or they can be treated by injecting saline or using a laser. Diathermy can result in complete removal or a significant improvement in the capillaries appearance depending on either the cause or the lifestlye of the person. It works by heating the blood in the capillary via an electrical current. This leads to the obliteration of the vessel. The treatment involves a fine hair sized needle, which is applied to the dilated capillary. It can be uncomfortable so a local anesthetic cream is applied beforehand. It make take one, two or three treatments for the viens to disappear completely.