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I'm Not Sure if This is a Broken Capillaries on my Cheeks?
The best treatment for these is laser, which generally takes 1-3 treatments for desired results and may require maintenance treatments in the future. We use an Nd: Yag laser with great success at reducing the appearance facial capillaries. Additionally, topical steroids (like those used to treat eczema or psoriasis) can cause skin atrophy, broken vessels, and stretch marks and should be avoided in this area, unless specifically instructed by a board-certified dermatologist.
Clinical Context
Redness on the cheeks gets lumped together a lot, but the causes look different up close. True broken capillaries are fixed, thread-like lines that stay put whether you're warm or cold. Rosacea, by contrast, comes and goes with flushing triggers and often fades under gentle pressure. Bruising shifts color over days as it heals, which capillaries don't do. Sun-related vascular damage tends to be diffuse and mottled rather than linear. Steroid-thinned skin can show a cluster of fine vessels alongside visible thinning or stretch-mark-like changes nearby, which is a different pattern than isolated capillary lines.
