Epidemiology and determinants of facial telangiectasia: a cross‐sectional study

• Published in: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 821 - 826
• Main Authors: Mekić, S., Hamer, M.A., Wigmann, C., Gunn, D.A., Kayser, M., Jacobs, L.C., Schikowski, T., Nijsten, T., Pardo, L.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-04-2020
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Face - blood supply; Female; Humans; Life Style; Male; Netherlands - epidemiology; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Telangiectasis - epidemiology; Telangiectasis - etiology; Netherlands
• ISSN: 0926-9959; 1468-3083
• DOI: 10.1111/jdv.15996

Background
Telangiectasia or red veins are one of the prominent features of facial skin ageing. To date, there are few studies investigating the determinants of telangiectasia.
Objectives
We investigated lifestyle and physiological factors associated with facial telangiectasia in a large prospective Dutch cohort study.
Methods
Telangiectasia was quantified digitally from standardized facial photographs of 2842 North European participants (56.8% female, median age 66.9) from the Rotterdam Study, collected in 2010–2013. Effect estimates from multivariable linear regressions are presented as the percentage difference in the mean value of telangiectasia area per unit increase of a determinant (%Δ) with corresponding 95% CI.
Results
Significant determinants were older age [1.7%Δ per year (95% CI 1.4, 2.0)], female sex [18.3%Δ (95% CI 13.2, 23.6)], smoking [current versus never 38.4%Δ (95% CI 30.3, 47.0); former versus never 11.6%Δ (95% CI 6.6, 16.9)], a high susceptibility to sunburn [10.2%Δ (95% CI 5.4, 15.3)] and light skin colour [pale versus white‐to‐olive 31.4%Δ (95% CI 19.7, 44.1]; white vs. white‐to‐olive 9.2%Δ (95% CI 2.8, 16.0)].
Conclusions
In this large cohort study, we confirmed known and described new determinants of facial telangiectasia.