Medical Questions » Skin Questions » Question No. 880
| Question: | I am developing little red spidery things on the skin of my face. What causes them and how can they be removed? |
| Answer: | Spider naevi are relatively common. They appear when a number of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) can be seen diverging from a central point. In Australia, they are most commonly caused by sun damage to the skin, and this is one of the reasons for doctors to be constantly urging the public to slip (on a shirt), slop (on sunscreen) and slap (on a hat) to protect themselves from skin damage and cancer later in life.
A number of diseases can also cause spider naevi. These include liver failure, an overactive thyroid gland, alcoholism and rheumatoid arthritis. Some unfortunate women also find that the hormonal changes of pregnancy can cause the blood vessels to dilate and mark their skin.
When a patient presents with this problem, it is important to determine the cause before any treatment is undertaken. Each individual spot can be treated by placing a fine needle in the central blood vessel of the spider, and passing an electric current through it for a moment. This diathermy process destroys the central vessel, and therefore the radiating vessels collapse, and the disfigurement disappears. A small white spot will remain at the site. Lasers are now being used by some doctors for this procedure.
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