Vascular Lesions

Vascular lesions are skin blemishs caused by an abnormality of the blood vessels located directly under the skin resulting in a reddish discoloration.  There are several kinds of vascular lesions that affect the skin.  These include cherry angiomas, hemangiomas, port-wine stains and telangiectasia.  Telangiectasia is also referred to as spider veins.  Vascular lesions can occur on the face, neck and upper body.

Port-Wine Stains:  Port-wine stains are present from birth.  As a child grows up, the stain will grown in size as the same proportion of skin growth.  As an individual ages, the port wine stain will oftern turn dark red and become more obvious. They may even grow thicker and develop a rough texture. Laser therapy is the most successful treatment for eliminating port-wine stains.  It works by destroying the blood vessels in the skin without any real damage to the skin. Different types of lasers are used to treat port-wine stains based on type of stain and a person's age.

Cherry Angiomas:  Cherry angiomas usually develop in adults after the age of 40.  They are typically harmless but many people choose to get rid of them for purely cosmetic reasons.  Pulsed dye lasers are typically used in the treatment of cherry angiomas.

Telangiectasia: These are the most common vascular lesions that can be found on the body.  They are the tiny blood vessels that have become dilated and are visible on the surface of the skin. Spider veins is another term used in association with these dilated vessels. They are commonly found on the face, cheeks, nose and chin. They can also be found on the legs.  In this case it is associated with the cause of varicose veins.

Telangiectasia can be caused by a variety of factors: alcohol use, sun damage, aging, pregnancy and genetics.  Laser theraphy has been found to be an effective means of treating spider veins.