Broken Capillary on Cheek

My daughter who is now almost 9 has had a broken capillary on her upper cheek for almost 4 years now. It's got a red dot in the middle then spiders out and is about the size of the top of a pencil eraser. The pediatrician says it will go away over time, but it's starting to bother her. I notice it gets worse when it's hot outside. Our insurance doesn't cover dematology for what they consider a cosmetic problem. I've heard of vitamin k cream or vitamin c cream. Does any of this work or should I just shell out the fee for laser treatments?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Broken capillaries are also called telangiectasia. They are small dilated blood vessels present under the skin especially on the face. It can be due to environmental changes like sun or cold overexposure, skin trauma, overuse of steroids, acne rosacea or venous hypertension. Sclerotherapy and laser treatment are the two main treatment options. Please discuss these treatment options with your dermatologist and get it evaluated.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.