IT’S the condition the late comedian Fields his trademark bulbous nose.

But rosacea, a disorder that affects millions, is no joke. And people who enjoy Guernsey’s sunny climate active lifestyle are prime candidates.

You’ve probably noticed hundreds of faces: network of spider veins often signals an interest great outdoors.

Typically evident in 30 or over, it begins on the cheeks, nose, forehead.

But as time wears on become ruddier and sometimes with lumps bumps. In severe cases can swell and become the W. C. Fields syndrome.

And one of the most triggers? Sun exposure.

We may not have seen this year, but sun has answer for, according Aesthetic Skin Clinic’s Curran. But for those such unwanted consequences, he has an answer. He uses intense pulsed therapy (IPL) to banish red veins, both for cosmetic reasons and to help medical conditions rosacea.

The results, said the has recently handed presidency of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors, are ‘genuinely fabulous’.

Red veins, he explained, extremely common. not always caused by ‘There are a number causes including sun elements, and some ‘Steroids can cause them as well as coffee, heat, stings – even social embarrassment. And people of old have associated them with alcohol abuse.’ True enough. But according to Dr Curran, that is a misconception.

Pale Celtic skin is particularly vulnerable to damage, he explained, especially when exposed to harsh elements. ‘A lot of the men who worked on the Manchester ship canals developed rosacea, which is where the old wives’ tale came from.’

Dr Curran said that there are a number of things that can be done to reduce inflammation caused by rosacea. Topical and antibiotic treatments are helpful, but as it’s an inflammatory condition, using IPL to reduce the redness is very effective. But in many cases, he explained, the veins are quite simply genetic.

Known as telangiectasia, these are small unsightly red, purple or blue blood vessels, most often found along the surface on the face, upper chest and neck. Those that appear on the legs are often known as spider veins. And the good news is that because the vessels are not necessary for any essential function, they can be safely removed without any effect on the body.

Sclerotherapy, another way of treating unwanted veins using injections to make them shrink, can leave people with scabs, but the laser is gentler, with no risk of marking the skin with a needle – although the two procedures can be effectively used in combination