Telangiectasia: the medical name for a thread vein
Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · 3 min read
Published 13 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
Telangiectasia is a small blood vessel that stays dilated at the skin surface, seen as a fine red, purple or blue thread, on the face most often along the nostril creases, cheeks and chin. The vessel is remodelled, not broken: its collagen-supported wall has given way under cumulative sun exposure, rosacea, genetics or age-thinned skin, and it does not close on its own. It is sealed by selective photothermolysis with a vascular laser or IPL.
Key facts
ICD-10
I78.1
What it is
A dilated dermal vessel that has remodelled open; nothing is 'broken'
Selective photothermolysis: 532 nm KTP, pulsed dye or long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG, or IPL, matched to vessel colour, depth and skin type
Illustrative image, not a patient.
Where telangiectasia matters on this site
Telangiectasia is the vessel that vascular lasers and light are built to close, so it appears wherever this site explains which device treats which red mark.
Before I seal a thread vein I look for what made it; closing vessels without treating rosacea only clears the way for new ones.— Dr Sin Yong
Nd:YAG laser: the 1064 nm wavelength, its use for red veins, and why it suits a wider range of skin types.
Laser for dark skin: which lasers are safer in types IV to VI, which matters for vessel work in Asian skin.
IPL: the broadband light option for diffuse redness rather than individual vessels.
On each page the same order applies: confirm what the redness is, check for rosacea, then match the wavelength to the vessel and the skin.
Not to be confused with
Several red marks on the face look like thread veins and are not.
Cherry angioma. A small, raised, bright red dome of vessels, not a line. It is removed differently.
Spider naevus. A central red point with fine vessels radiating from it, which blanches when the centre is pressed. Several appearing together are worth a medical check.
Flushing. Episodic waves of heat and colour that come and go. Telangiectasia is fixed.
Leg veins. Spider and varicose veins on the legs are a different problem, often needing a vascular specialist first; the leg veins page explains when.
A doctor separates these on examination, sometimes with dermoscopy, before choosing a treatment, because a laser chosen for the wrong red mark does little and can mark the skin. Creams, icing and vitamin K serums do not close a remodelled vessel of any kind.
What decides whether telangiectasia matters for you
A few fine vessels may need nothing. These are the questions that decide whether, and how, they are treated.
Is rosacea behind them? Closing vessels does not treat a condition that is quietly producing new ones, so rosacea is checked first; see rosacea.
Vessel colour and depth. Fine red vessels and deeper blue-purple ones suit different wavelengths.
Your skin type. In Fitzpatrick III to V skin, longer wavelengths spare epidermal melanin and lower the pigment risk.
Sun exposure. Cumulative sun is a driver, so daily protection is part of the plan, not an afterthought.
Steroid creams. Long-term use on the face thins the skin and can produce vessels, and is stopped under supervision.
Dr Sin Yong chooses the wavelength for vessel colour, depth and skin type at assessment, and more than one pass may be needed. Creams and serums are not a substitute.
Where it fits
Three related problems share the red face. Fixed visible threads are telangiectasia; episodic waves of heat and colour are flushing; persistent background redness with flushing and vessels points to rosacea. Dr Sin Yong checks for rosacea before sealing vessels, because closing the vessels present does not treat a condition that is quietly producing new ones. In Fitzpatrick III to V skin he leans on longer wavelengths, which spare epidermal melanin and lower the pigment risk. Creams, icing and vitamin K serums do not close a remodelled vessel. Full page: facial thread veins; the condition behind many of them on rosacea and facial redness; vessels on the legs on leg veins.
How a 577 nm yellow laser targets fine vessels is explained in a neutral guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
A vessel that has been sealed and resorbed does not reopen, but new vessels can form over time if the drivers continue, chiefly sun exposure and untreated rosacea. That is why sun protection and control of rosacea sit alongside laser rather than after it. Some vessels need more than one pass before they close, and the plan is reviewed rather than fixed at the start.
Longer wavelengths are usually preferred, such as the long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG, because they are less absorbed by epidermal melanin and so carry a lower pigment risk in Fitzpatrick III to V skin. Fine superficial vessels in lighter skin may suit a shorter wavelength. The choice depends on vessel colour and depth as well as skin type, and is made at assessment.
No. The phrase is a misnomer Dr Sin Yong corrects daily. Nothing is broken; the vessel has remodelled open and stays open until it is sealed. That is also why no cream or cold compress reverses one.
No. A remodelled vessel has no biochemical off-switch a topical can press. Vascular lasers and IPL work by heating the blood inside the vessel so the wall is injured and the body seals and resorbs it; more than one pass may be needed, and new vessels can form if sun or rosacea continue.
References
Mese Say E, Okan G, Gökdemir G. Treatment outcomes of long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser for two different subtypes of rosacea (n=66). J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2015;8(9):16-20. source
Light-Based Devices for the Treatment of Facial Erythema and Telangiectasia. PMC. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
An Insight into Nd:YAG Laser Treatments for Facial Telangiectasia in Asian Patients. PubMed. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
