Winter Weather Warning for Facial Thread Veins

Experts are warning that the sudden change in weather could trigger problems with facial thread veins.

Extreme temperatures can be a factor in the development of thread veins, which is why those who work outdoors through the colder months often develop facial veins as their faces are exposed to the cold weather.

Cold weather in itself tends to make the veins shrink, as your body’s response to cold temperatures is to constrict in order to reduce the flow of warm blood near the skin’s surface, thereby conserving body warmth.

However, coming back indoors into the warmth will have the opposite effect, as the blood vessels will rapidly dilate or swell in order to reduce body temperature.

The moving from cold to warm and back again means that the veins are going from one extreme to another and back again. Thread veins appear when tiny facial veins widen close to the surface of the skin.

How can we prevent facial thread veins in cold weather?

The main tactics are to protect the skin from:

• Avoid extreme cold where possible
• Cover the face using scarf, balaclava or face mask
• Wear a barrier cream

Can thread veins be treated?

Yes, thread vein removal is available at Cosmedics’ London Vein Centre using laser or microsclerotherapy.