Treatment of Facial Telangiectasia with Sclerotherapy, Laser Surgery, and/or Electrodesiccation: A Review

BACKGROUND . Facial telangiectasia is extremely common in patients with fair complexion. Electrosurgery has been the primary form of treatment in the past. OBJECTIVES . The authors retrospectively evaluated over 300 patients treated with sclerotherapy for facial telangiectasias. METHODS . Retrospective analysis of over 300 patients with facial telangiectasia treated with sclerotherapy and 55 facial spider telangiectasias treated with laser. RESULTS . Sclerotherapy utilizing hypertonic saline, Sclerodex, polidocanol, and sodium tetradecyl sulfate resulted in‐between 50 and 100% resolution of facial telangiectasia with minimal complications. CONCLUSION . The treatment of facial telangiectasia should include sclerotherapy and laser treatment modalities, which effect a higher rate of clearance with less adverse sequela. LEARNING OBJECTIVES . After studying the following article the participants should be able to: Understand the classification of superficial cutaneous facial vessels and identify their morphology. Show an awaremenss of the benefits and risks of utilizing microsclerotherapy as a treatment for certain facial telangiectasias. Recognize the role of laser surgery and electrosurgery as primary or secondary techniques in treating facial telangiectasias.