Would Retinol impact the appearance of broken capillaries/spider veins?

Question

I have only been using 0.3 % retinol cream (Laroche Laposay Retinol B3) for 3 days and I have noticed that the broken capillaries on the sides of my nose are much more visible than before. The information on this subject is quite confusing and the internet is plagued by contradicting information. So I would like to know from an expert wether the thinning of the epidermis caused by Retinol would make my capillaries more visible or the opposite?

Mitchel Goldman, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. What you are seeing right now is a normal part of the healing process triggered by the collagen. My guess is that the veins will become less visible over the next few weeks. However, if they continue to bother you, treatment with a vascular laser like the Vbeam would be able to eliminate the broken capillaries for good. Schedule an assessment with a board-certified dermatologist who has expertise in facial vein treatments in the next few weeks if you would like to pursue treatment at that time.

Robert T. Buchanan, MD (retired) · Answer

What you are experiencing is good. It means the retinol you are using is working. The body only has 1 way of responding to any problem needing healing. Use of retinol tells the body to "heal" the skin, so it turns on its immune/healing system. Unfortunately, it cannot just turn on the part than builds new collagen. Part of this is to dilate the surrounding blood vessels, both normal and telangiectatic like yours. This will usually get better in 4-8 weeks even though the healing continues. Liken it to a cut or scrape that is red for a while and then the redness fades even though the healing continues for a ear or so. If the vessels are still there in a few months, you can treat them with an IPL.

Would Retinol impact the appearance of broken capillaries/spider veins?

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Would Retinol impact the appearance of broken capillaries/spider veins?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Retin-A

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.