What Are These Red Spots on My Skin? A Guide to Common Types of Redness
- Cassie Ogren
- Aug 12
- 8 min read
Cherry Angiomas, Broken Capillaries, Spider Veins, Rosacea and Other Causes of Red Spots
You look in the mirror and suddenly notice a tiny red dot that you're positive wasn't there before, or maybe you've started seeing little red or purple lines around your nose and cheeks that don't seem to go away.
What exactly are they? And should you be worried?
Red spots on the skin are incredibly common, and there are many possible causes. Some are simply tiny blood vessels that have become visible through the skin. Others are benign vascular growths that become increasingly common with age. Redness can also be associated with inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea.
Understanding what different types of redness typically look like can help you know when something is probably cosmetic—and when it's worth having checked by a doctor.
What Are the Tiny Bright Red Dots on My Skin?
If you have tiny, round, bright-red spots that seem to have appeared out of nowhere, there's a good chance you're looking at cherry angiomas.
Cherry angiomas are benign collections of small blood vessels. They can be completely flat or slightly raised and may range from a pinpoint-sized red dot to a slightly larger red or purple bump. They're extremely common and tend to become more prevalent as we age. In fact, roughly half of adults develop cherry angiomas after age 30.
You'll commonly see them on the:
Chest
Stomach
Back
Arms
Shoulders
Some people are more prone to cherry angiomas and can eventually develop dozens of them all over their body.
Are Cherry Angiomas Dangerous?
Typically, no.
Cherry angiomas are considered benign vascular growths and don't need to be removed for medical reasons.
However, because not every red lesion is a cherry angioma, a new spot that looks unusual, changes significantly, repeatedly bleeds without being injured, or simply concerns you should be evaluated by a dermatologist or qualified medical provider.
Once you know the lesion is benign, treatment is usually cosmetic.
Why Am I Getting More Cherry Angiomas as I Get Older?
You're not imagining it. Cherry angiomas tend to become significantly more common with age. We don't completely understand why they develop, but aging, genetics and hormonal factors appear to play roles.
So if you suddenly feel like you're collecting more little red dots in your 30s, 40s and beyond, you're definitely not alone.
The good news is that although they may become more numerous, they generally aren't harmful, though you may want to remove them for cosmetic reasons.
What Are the Tiny Red Lines Around My Nose and Cheeks?
Those are often telangiectasias, commonly referred to as broken capillaries, though technically, the vessels aren't always "broken."
Instead, these tiny blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin have become enlarged or permanently visible.
They may appear as:
Individual red lines
Fine branching vessels
Small clusters of redness
Red or purple threads
They're especially common around the nose, cheeks and chin.
What Causes Broken Capillaries on the Face?
There generally isn't one single cause, but visible facial vessels can develop from a combination of:
Genetics
Aging
Chronic sun exposure
Rosacea
Repeated flushing
Heat exposure
Environmental damage
Hormonal changes
Trauma to the skin
As we age, the skin also becomes thinner and loses some of the collagen that previously helped conceal these tiny vessels.
That can make redness and capillaries much more noticeable than they were when we were younger.
Are Broken Capillaries Permanent?
Once a blood vessel becomes persistently dilated and visible, skincare alone usually cannot make the vessel disappear.
A calming serum may reduce surrounding inflammation and redness, but it can't physically eliminate an established vascular lesion.
That's where energy-based treatments like laser can become particularly useful.
What Are Spider Angiomas?
A spider angioma looks exactly like its name suggests. There is usually a small red central point with tiny vessels radiating outward—almost like the legs of a spider.
If you press on the center, the redness may temporarily disappear and then refill once pressure is released.
A single spider angioma is often harmless and can occur in otherwise healthy people. Hormonal changes can also contribute, which is why spider angiomas sometimes appear during pregnancy.
Should I Worry About Spider Angiomas?
One or two are generally benign.
However, developing numerous spider angiomas can occasionally be associated with an underlying medical condition.
If you suddenly develop several of them or notice other unexplained symptoms, it's worth mentioning to your medical provider rather than assuming they're purely cosmetic.
Why Do I Have Constant Redness Across My Cheeks and Nose?
Redness of the face isn't always a problem with an individual blood vessel. Sometimes it's a network of vessels and inflammation creating diffuse facial redness.
One of the most common causes is rosacea.
Rosacea can present as:
Persistent facial redness
Frequent flushing
Visible capillaries
Red bumps
Sensitivity
Burning or stinging
Redness across the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead
Heat, sun exposure, alcohol, spicy foods, stress and certain skincare products can trigger flushing in people who are prone to rosacea. And repeated flushing can gradually make those visible vessels more and more noticeable.
What Are Tiny Pinpoint Red or Purple Dots That Don't Turn White When I Press Them?
This is where it's important to distinguish cosmetic redness from something that may require medical attention. Tiny pinpoint red, purple or brown spots that don't blanch—or turn lighter—when you press on them may be petechiae.
Petechiae occur when very small amounts of blood leak from capillaries beneath the skin. Sometimes there is an innocent explanation, such as physical straining or minor trauma. But petechiae can also occur with certain infections, medications, blood disorders and other medical conditions.
This isn't something we would treat cosmetically with a laser without knowing the cause.
If petechiae appear suddenly, spread quickly, occur without an obvious explanation, or are accompanied by symptoms such as fever or feeling unwell, seek medical evaluation immediately.
How Do I Know If a Red Spot on My Skin Is Harmless?
Many red spots are completely benign—but appearance alone isn't always enough to diagnose them.
Pay particular attention to a lesion that:
Appears suddenly and continues changing
Grows rapidly
Bleeds repeatedly without being scratched
Crusts and doesn't heal
Changes significantly in color or shape
Becomes painful
Looks noticeably different from your other spots
If you're unsure, have it evaluated by a dermatologist! We would always rather have you discover that something is harmless than ignore something that deserves medical attention.
Can Laser Treatments Get Rid of Red Spots?
Once a vascular lesion has been identified as benign and appropriate for cosmetic treatment, laser can be one of the most effective ways to reduce unwanted redness.
At Sanctuary Skin in Virginia Beach, one of our favorite treatments for vascular concerns is the Aerolase Neo Elite.
Aerolase uses a 1064nm Nd wavelength that can target hemoglobin—the red pigment contained inside blood vessels.
Instead of trying to cover redness with makeup or calm it temporarily with skincare products, we're able to target the structure contributing to the visible redness itself and eliminate it.
How Does the Aerolase Treat Redness and Blood Vessels?
The Aerolase Neo Elite delivers laser energy that is absorbed by certain targets within the skin, including hemoglobin inside unwanted blood vessels.
That energy creates a controlled thermal effect within the targeted vessel that reduces and even removes that area of redness. Over time, the body naturally clears the treated vascular tissue, making the redness less noticeable.
Depending on the concern, Aerolase can be used to improve vascular redness including:
Visible facial capillaries
Telangiectasias/"broken capillaries"
Certain angiomas
Rosacea-associated redness
Diffuse facial redness
Can Aerolase Treat Rosacea and Broken Capillaries at the Same Time?
This is one of the reasons we love the Aerolase Neo Elite technology. Rather than addressing only one visible vessel at a time, Aerolase can be incorporated into a treatment plan designed to improve both vascular redness and the inflammation associated with rosacea across the entire face.
Rosacea isn't always just one problem.
A client may simultaneously have:
Chronic inflammation
Diffuse redness
Visible capillaries
Frequent flushing
Acne-like breakouts
This makes it particularly useful for clients whose redness isn't limited to one or two tiny capillaries.
Does Aerolase Laser Treatment for Redness Hurt?
Aerolase is very different from many older laser technologies. Its energy is delivered in extremely fast 650-microsecond pulses, allowing us to deliver energy to the intended target without relying on prolonged heating of the skin's surface.
Most clients describe the sensation as brief warmth or a quick snap of heat. Treatment is typically fast, and there is generally little to no downtime.
How Many Laser Treatments Does It Take to Remove Redness?
It depends on what we're treating.
A small isolated vascular lesion may respond much more quickly to treatment than years of diffuse rosacea or extensive facial capillaries.
Factors include:
The type of vascular lesion
Size of the vessel
Depth of the vessel
How long it has been present
The amount of redness
Your skin type
The underlying cause
Some isolated spots may respond quickly, while widespread redness typically benefits from a series of 3-9 treatments.
For rosacea and generalized facial redness, we often prefer progressive treatments rather than trying to aggressively eliminate everything in one session.
Can Red Spots Come Back After Laser Treatment?
Yes—and understanding why they return is important.
When we successfully treat a particular unwanted vessel, we're addressing that vessel. But laser can't prevent your body from forming new visible vessels in the future.
Genetics, aging, underlying rosacea, hormones and sun exposure can continue contributing to vascular changes over time.
That's why some clients eventually choose occasional maintenance treatments even after they're happy with their initial results.
Daily sunscreen, the right skincare products, and managing known redness triggers can also help protect those results.
Should I Get My Red Spot Checked Before Having It Lasered?
If there is any uncertainty about what a lesion is, yes. Laser treatment should never be used as a way to "see if something goes away" when a lesion hasn't been properly identified.
At Sanctuary Skin, healthy skin comes before cosmetic results.
If something appears suspicious or falls outside our scope of practice, we'll recommend having it evaluated by our medical director or an appropriate medical provider before proceeding with cosmetic treatment.
Once we know we're dealing with benign vascular redness, we can talk about the best way to improve its appearance.
What Should I Do About the Red Spots on My Skin?
Start by figuring out what they actually are.
That tiny red dot might be a harmless cherry angioma.
Those little red lines around your nose might be visible capillaries.
Persistent cheek redness may be related to rosacea.
And something that doesn't fit the typical pattern may deserve evaluation by a dermatologist.
Once we understand the cause, we can determine whether it needs medical attention—or whether it's simply something cosmetic that you would like to improve or remove.
At Sanctuary Skin in Virginia Beach, our approach has always been centered around healthy skin first. For clients bothered by benign redness, broken capillaries, vascular lesions or rosacea, Aerolase Neo Elite laser treatments can offer an effective, non-invasive way to create clearer, more even-looking skin without sacrificing skin health.
Ready to Address Your Redness?
Learn more about Aerolase Neo Elite Laser Treatments at Sanctuary Skin and discover how laser can be incorporated into a personalized treatment plan for your skin.
Continue Learning About Your Skin
Sanctuary SkinVirginia Beach, VA
757-646-7985
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