Management of Facial Telangiectasias with Hand Cautery

BACKGROUND: Facial telangiectasias are superficial cutaneous vessels that can result in noticeable aesthetical imperfections. This study presents a technique for the removal of facial telangiectasias using hand cautery. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with facial telangiectasias were treated using hand cautery (Medicell Inc, Athens, Greece) during 2009-2013. Photo documentation was performed for each patient before and immediately after treatment. Treatment was performed by cauterization at 800°C, delivered via a 30G tip directly to the lesions for milliseconds. RESULTS: Twenty two out of 25 patients (88%) exhibited complete resolution of telangiectasias using hand cautery. In 5 (20%) patients, single application achieved complete resolution of lesions and in 10 patients (40%) re-treatment was required after 3 weeks. Four patients (16%) required 3 consecutive treatments from which 2 patients (8%) showed slight improvement and one patient (4%) no improvement. No major complications were associated with this procedure except the formation of a white scar in two patients that became inconspicuous after 3 months. Minor complications included skin irritation and edema immediately after the treatment, which resolved within 2-3 days without intervention. CONCLUSION: Hand cautery is a very safe, effective and inexpensive tool for the treatment of facial telangiectasias. It is simple, cheap, and requires minimal training, although it is limited to the treatment of more superficial and small lesions. We believe that this technique is suitable for office based setting. The advantage of using inexpensive and portable instruments will also be beneficial in developing counties where access to more expensive equipment is limited. Results are satisfactory but more patients are needed to validate the technique.