What are the small red spots on the skin?

The appearance of small raised red spots on the skin is generally caused by vascular nevus. Many people are not particularly familiar with vascular nevus. Vascular nevus, on the surface, are red in color and protrude from the surface of the skin. There are many reasons for its formation, such as the proliferation of small arteries or the expansion of the terminal ends, etc., which may form vascular nevus. The appearance of vascular nevus does not indicate certain diseases, but it will have a certain impact on nearby tissues and organs.

What is a vascular nevus?

Vascular nevus is actually caused by the dilation of capillaries or arterioles on the skin surface. It may appear anywhere on the skin surface, including the face, neck, trunk, and limbs.

The causes of vascular nevus

It is formed gradually due to the proliferation of local capillaries or arterioles in the skin, which then expand at the ends.

As we age, the connective tissue around the blood vessels degenerates, causing the area around the blood vessels to become weaker. Under the stimulation of friction, scratching, and trauma, the blood vessels are further damaged and cause vasodilation, and blood fills the dilated areas.

In the early years, people's understanding of vascular nevi was incomplete. Because the characteristics of "vascular nevus" are most obvious in the elderly, people at that time believed that this was a symptom that only occurred in the elderly, so they named it this.

However, with the advancement of medical technology, more and more young people have been found in clinical practice to also develop the so-called "senile hemangioma", which proves that the disease is not unique to the elderly.

Current medical research shows that children may develop vascular nevi at around 10 years old, but they will show a faster growth trend after the age of 30, with increasing numbers and gradually rising above the skin surface. In old age, they may form obvious hemispherical tumors.

Does the appearance of vascular nevus indicate physical illness?

Some people believe that the appearance of vascular nevus means that there is a lesion in the nearby organs. Although there is still debate about the specific cause of vascular nevus, no matter which explanation is, it cannot prove that the appearance of vascular nevus is related to the lesions of internal organs.

Can vascular nevi be removed?

In the early years, treatments mainly consisted of electrocautery, freezing, and laser cautery. However, the pain during treatment was quite obvious, the recovery period after treatment was slightly longer, and pigmentation or scars might occur.

There are some minimally invasive or non-invasive laser treatments that are common now, such as pulsed dye lasers that specifically target blood vessels. Depending on the situation of the vascular nevus, 1 to 3 treatments can usually almost achieve the effect of sealing the blood vessels and restoring a smooth skin surface and uniform color.