Curious about what to do for broken capillaries? If you struggle with those pesky little red dots or patches of tiny red veins on the face, it can be difficult to understand where they came from and why they seem to linger indefinitely. So to help you out, we’ve got some answers. Here are the essential things to understand about this common complexion woe.

What are broken capillaries and what causes them?

Despite the somewhat scary sounding name, broken capillaries aren’t painful and are in fact, pretty harmless. They’re also very common. The term itself refers to a blood vessel or multiple blood vessels that have become dilated or enlarged. When this happens the capillaries then become more visible to the naked eye, forming tiny red dots, splotches or spidery patterns on the skin and they usually appear on the face, near the nose, cheeks or chin.

Numerous things can cause broken capillaries, and understanding some of the contributing factors is actually key to avoiding them. Because they can be somewhat difficult to eliminate (more on that in a minute), your best bet is to practice preventive measures which will keep them from appearing in the first place.

Essentially, a broken capillary is a side effect of injury or trauma, which causes rapid blood flow to the skin and forces these small vessels to dilate too quickly. This can occur for any of the following reasons:

• Excess sun or heat exposure
• Aggressively squeezing or popping pimples
• Excess consumption of alcohol or spicy foods
• Exposure to extreme weather - such as harsh cold or wind
• Rigorous exfoliation or rubbing the skin too hard
• Smoking
• Dry or dehydrated skin
• Genetics

What can you do to treat or get rid of a broken capillary?

Although you can do a lot to minimize trauma to your skin, broken capillaries can still happen to just about anyone, in spite of your best efforts. So what can you do to address them?

In many cases, laser treatment with a professional modality such as intense pulsed laser (IPL) therapy is the most effective way to actually eradicate a broken capillary. However, if you aren’t able to seek these kinds of treatments, you can still do a lot to minimize redness and reduce the appearance of broken capillaries. Here are a few tricks to try:

• Seek out anti-inflammatory ingredients - Just about all skin types can benefit from using more calming and soothing agents, but they can be especially helpful for skin in the event of stress or trauma to avoid permanent damage. Look for ingredients such as aloe, niacinamide, chamomile, green tea, and rose water, which are all natural inflammation fighters.  Click here to shop our NEW Anti-Inflammatory Serum.

• Nourish your skin for optimal immunity - A few other additives to look for in your skincare that will provide support include Vitamin C, which helps boost the skin’s ability to repair. Additionally, to prevent dryness and dehydration, you can also incorporate lots of daily moisture and hydration, in the form of face oils and a good face cream for your skin type. Here are two of our Glow Jar Beauty Favourites:
• Luminous Facial Oil - $50
• Moisturizing Face Cream - $45

• Opt for tepid water only - Because hot water and super hot showers can actually cause more broken capillaries, using warm to tepid water to wash your face is a great way to go. Drinking cold water will also help prevent overheating, so consider carrying a bottle of ice water everywhere you go, especially anytime you know you may be prone to overheating, such as at the gym or in a hot car.

• SPF, always - Last but not least, understanding that sun damage and exposure will always worsen just about every skin concern, strive to keep your skin protected. Applying sunscreen daily and re-upping regularly when out in the sun is always your best line of defence.  Personally, I have been enjoying Tizo Tinted Mineral SPF 40.