Vascular Blemishes, also called broken capillaries, spider veins and telangiectasias, are dilated blood vessels of various types, including small arteries, veins, and capillaries. They often appear on the nose, cheeks, chins and upper body, especially in areas exposed to the sun.

 

They are not due to excessive alcohol consumption, as some people think. They are mostly due to genetic predisposition and sun damage. Vascular blemishes can be anywhere from one to hundreds of branching red or purple blood vessels of various sizes, but can also be just a small red dot that never goes away.

 

There are also larger collections of vessels that look like red moles, sometimes with small vessels leading away from them.