VISIBLE VEINS & VASCULARITY

Vascular redness tends to show up as broader pinkness, flushing, or red patches rather than one clearly defined vessel. It most commonly appears across the central face, and it happens when small vessels have widened close to the skin’s surface. You may find it becomes more noticeable over time, as skin naturally thins and turns a little more translucent with age. The redness itself is often set off by everyday triggers, like a change in temperature, prolonged sun exposure, exercise, stress, or alcohol consumption.

When redness is persistent or presents with warmth and sensitivity, we’ll need to assess whether it may be associated with rosacea or another inflammatory skin condition.

Visible capillaries, known clinically as telangiectasia, are tiny surface-level blood vessels that are dilating, similar to vascular redness. But rather than appearing as a diffuse wash of colour, telangiectasia present as individual, defined vessels you can actually trace. They usually appear as fine red or pink lines around the nose, cheeks, and chin, developing from factors such as sun exposure, natural ageing, and hormonal changes. 

Although you may have heard them called “broken capillaries”, the vessels haven’t actually snapped or ruptured. They’ve just widened enough to become visible through the skin.

Spider veins are small blue, red, or purple vessels that form delicate branching or web-like patterns, which is how they got their name. They can appear anywhere across the face and body, though they’re especially common on the legs. They’re more likely to form due to hormonal changes, pregnancy, and a strong family history

On the legs in particular, long periods of sitting or standing can increase pressure within the veins, making them more noticeable over time.

Reticular veins are often slightly larger than spider veins and usually appear as flat blue or green lines sitting just beneath the skin, particularly across the legs. They tend to develop for many of the same reasons, including genetics, pregnancy, hormonal changes, age, and increased venous pressure. Some reticular veins also act as feeding vessels for nearby spider veins, which simply means the deeper reticular vein supplies blood to the smaller veins connected to it, and the pressure this creates helps keep those surface veins visible.

Because the two are linked, we’ll often take a moment to look at the wider vein pattern before recommending treatment.

Varicose veins develop when the valves inside the vein stop closing properly, so blood begins to collect rather than flowing smoothly. As this pressure builds, the vein gradually enlarges and rises closer to the surface, which is what gives varicose veins their twisted, lumpy, or rope-like appearance. They show up most commonly across the legs, ankles, and feet where the veins are already working hardest against gravity.

Some varicose veins cause no discomfort at all, while others come with aching, heaviness, swelling, or itching from the added pressure.