Dear Dr. Seckel,I have broken blood vessels on my cheeks and at the corners of my nostrils. I am 45 live in Boston and am fair skinned of Irish descent. I also have noticed that my eyelids are puffy and the upper eyelid skin is starting to droop. I also have some loose skin beneath my neck. I have always looked young for my age and these changes seem to have occurred all of a sudden. I have read about the new laser treatments you offer. Can they help the eyelid changes and loose skin as well as well as the broken blood vessels? Thank you, Kathryn, Boston, MA.
Dear Kathryn,
Thank you for your email. Broken blood vessels are often the very first sign of facial aging and are caused by the inflammation of the facial skin from the UV rays of the sun. Prevention of broken blood vessels with sun block, sun avoidance, and a topical vitamin C cream is important.
Laser treatments and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments called photo facial treatments are very effective for removing broken blood vessels on the face. Treatments are quick, simple, with minimal discomfort and down time.
The eyelid hooding and bags and dark circles under the eyes you mention require surgery for correction. Modern plastic surgery called laser blepharoplasty can restore a remarkably youthful look to your eyes. These eyelid aging changes are often the first sign of facial aging to occur after you see the broken blood vessels and pigment on your face.
The skin laxity on your neck, beneath your chin is also an early facial aging change. This can be corrected with new facial lifting techniques and your youthful neck and jaw line can be restored. The new non-surgical laser, radiofrequency, and infrared machine for skin tightening can tighten the neck skin but only by about 20-30%. These machines will improve, but at present most patients who have had non-surgical skin tightening wish they had had a better result. The non-surgical skin tightening lasers are not as effective as the lasers for removal of broken blood vessels.
The broken blood vessels you see are a warning sign of inflammation of your facial skin and that facial skin aging is occurring. It is time to take the preventative steps I mentioned in the first paragraph. Effective non-surgical laser and IPL technology will remove the broken blood vessels but prevention is most important.
I discuss prevention of facial aging in my book Save Your Face which you should read. If you would like to learn more about modern methods for correcting facial aging, eyelid rejuvenation, and facial rejuvenation check my website. I practice in the
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Sincerely,