When the tiny blood vessels called capillaries get damaged or broken, the result is dilated vessels that look like small red lines under your skin. While this is not a health emergency, it can affect people’s self-confidence and perception of themselves. Though not necessary, many are asking how to get rid of veins in the forehead.
Thanks to technological advancements in the cosmetics world, there are now three common and popular treatments for forehead and facial veins. This includes sclerotherapy, laser vein therapy, and electrosurgery. You can take preventative measures early on to prevent and reduce the likelihood of developing facial veins.
Of course, a consultation with your healthcare provider should always be prioritized before getting any treatment or procedure done. And if you experience other symptoms along with bulging forehead veins, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about facial veins including possible causes. Then, we’ll cover treatments that can get rid of them and what you can do to avoid them in the first place.
What are Facial Veins, Spider Veins, and Blood Vessels?
Facial veins, spider veins, broken blood vessels, and broken capillaries all refer to tiny blood vessels right under the surface of your skin.
While they’re called “veins”, they’re not technically veins but rather capillaries that get damaged or broken. Capillaries are small blood vessels that deliver blood to smaller areas of the body. Because they’re small and sensitive blood vessels, they’re likely to easily break as well.
When the tiny blood vessels under your skin get damaged or broken, they dilate and appear as small red lines on your skin. While this may not be a cause for pain or major health concern, it can become unsightly and can be an issue of self-consciousness for many.
Veins can appear and develop anywhere on your face from your cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, temples, around the eye area, and the nasolabial fold.
It can appear as a small and flat red line but could also develop as a large and bulging forehead vein.
What Causes Forehead Veins?
One of the common places where facial veins appear is the forehead and near the temples. While aging is the most common cause of forehead veins, there are a few more other factors that come into play:
- Age
As we age, our skin naturally becomes thinner. Thinner skin means the veins and capillaries underneath appear more obvious as you age.
Additionally, aging also increases the risk of you developing vascular issues. This can cause your body’s veins and capillaries to become weak over time, causing them to be more likely to break or become damaged.
- Pressure or strain
Extreme pressure and strain on your face can cause the capillaries under your skin to dilate and appear more visible. In some cases, an increase in pressure on your face can cause veins underneath the skin to protrude and bulge out.
Sneezing, laughing, vomiting, crying, screaming, and even popping a pimple can cause pressure and strain on your face. Exercising and headaches can also be a cause for bulging veins.
- Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the body undergoes and experiences many hormonal changes. The body also produces more estrogen and progesterone.
These hormonal changes can weaken your blood vessels and increase circulation at the same time, increasing the risk of breaking and damaging them. This can cause your facial veins to look larger than normal.
- Sun exposure
Spending too much time under direct sunlight can cause spider veins on your face to swell and bulge.
When you’re out in the sun, your body’s veins will attempt to regulate your body’s internal temperature by dilating. When veins are dilated, they’re at risk of breaking. This results in more obvious veins under the skin’s surface.
- High blood pressure
Increased blood flow like high blood pressure will increase blood flow to your veins, including your head and forehead. This sudden increase can cause the veins to swell and bulge.
- Genetics
Your hereditary predispositions can have a direct link to obvious veins on your face and forehead. People with pale skin tend to have more obvious veins underneath the skin, though dark-skinned people are no exception either.
Moreover, some people have weaker veins that tend to break and develop as spider veins. If you have several family members who have facial veins, you’re more likely to develop them as well later in life.
- Weight
People who have a lighter weight have less body fat. This can cause veins and blood vessels to look even more prominent across their faces and the rest of their bodies than those who weigh more and has more body fat.
- Alcohol consumption
Drinking alcohol, especially in excessive amounts, can temporarily dilate the veins and blood vessels. This gives people a flushed appearance with their veins looking more prominent underneath the skin.
- Other medical conditions
Certain medical conditions like rosacea, eczema, lupus, or arteriovenous fistula can cause dilated veins and blood vessels. This can make them look more prominent, swelled up, or bulged.
Do Forehead Veins Go Away on Their Own?
Once facial and forehead veins appear, they don’t go away naturally on their own.
The only way for you to remove and get rid of them is through professional and in-clinic treatments.
Are Treatments Necessary?
Facial veins are natural and there’s no need to be ashamed of them. And in most cases, they’re not a health risk and are not indicative of more serious underlying health issues.
Facial and forehead veins treatments are not necessary but many seek them out to reduce their appearance so they could feel good about themselves.
How to Get Rid of Veins in Forehead
If you find yourself looking in the mirror and notice obvious, huge, or bulky forehead veins, consider looking into any of these treatments at any time:
- Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical and minimally-invasive procedure. It’s a standard and common procedure used to treat varicose veins and spider veins in patients.
What the procedure does is shrink veins until they close and reabsorb into the body.
During sclerotherapy, your medical provider will inject a salt solution directly into the vein of concern. The solution will cause the veins to collapse and deteriorate, reabsorbing back into your body.
Though it’s one of the most common solutions for facial veins, there is some concern due to the face’s thinner and much more delicate skin.
But rest assured that having the procedure done by a board-certified professional will lower the risks.
- Laser vein therapy
Laser vein therapy is another minimally-invasive facial vein treatment.
This procedure uses an intense and targeted beam of light to penetrate into the skin and irritate and close off the walls of the damaged vein. This will cause the veins to collapse and reabsorb back into the body naturally and will fade over time.
- Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery is a minimally-invasive procedure that uses high-frequency electrical currents from a handheld needle. These electric currents destroy blood vessels so they disappear and fade back into the skin.
This is a quick procedure but can often be painful.
How to Prevent Facial Veins in Forehead
If you want to lessen the possibility of developing facial forehead veins in the foreseeable future, try out these preventative measures:
- Apply sunscreen every day
Make sure to protect your skin from excess UV rays by applying sunscreen every day, even if you’re not going out or if it’s cloudy outside. A sunscreen of SPF50 should give you great coverage and protection.
- Avoid excess sun exposure and tanning beds
When you’re out, don’t directly stay under the sun. Reapply sunscreen every few hours to keep maximum protection. Additionally, wear protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses.
You might also want to avoid using tanning beds.
- Stay away from extreme heat
Extreme heat can increase your risk for spider and facial veins. Limit exposure to saunas, hot water, and staying out during very hot days.
- Consume alcohol moderately
If you find yourself always getting flushed when you’re drinking, limit your alcohol consumption.
- Be gentle with your face
Whether it’s washing your face, going through a skincare routine, or applying makeup, always be gentle with your face to prevent irritation and inflammation.
Moreover, never use hot water to wash your face. Stick only to warm water.
- Exercise regularly
Regular exercise can help regulate blood circulation and strengthen your veins and blood vessels.
When to See a Doctor
Forehead and facial veins are typically not a cause for major concern or medical emergency. However, you should definitely see a doctor and seek immediate medical attention if you experience these symptoms:
- Headaches
- Pain or tenderness
- Dizziness
Conclusion
When the small blood vessels, or capillaries, under our skin get damaged or broken, they dilate and appear as small red lines across the skin. Though facial veins are not a cause for concern, many seek out removal treatments for the sake of looking good and feeling good about themselves.
Today’s modern cosmetic world offers the three most common treatment options for getting rid of the veins that appear in your forehead: sclerotherapy, laser vein therapy, and electrosurgery. All these three procedures are non-surgical and minimally invasive solutions for smaller facial veins and even larger veins on your forehead.
And that has been our detailed guide on how to get rid of veins in the forehead. Reach out to us below for any more of your curious questions!