One morning, as you look in the mirror, you notice a small red spot on your chest or back. It wasn’t there yesterday. Not painful, not irritating… but intriguing. Should you be concerned? Is it age-related? A health problem? Rest assured: these famous ruby spots are more common than you think.
These small red spots have a name: capillary angiomas
Also called ruby spots , these small red spots are actually acquired capillary angiomas . These are tiny dilated blood vessels that form a sort of small red bubble , like a drop of blood frozen on the surface of the skin.
According to dermatologist Maria Rosa Martí : “These are small capillaries that supply blood to the skin and, for one reason or another, dilate without being able to return to their initial state.”
At what age do they appear? And why?
Although they are more common after the age of 40 , these red spots can also affect younger people, as early as their twenties or thirties . Contrary to popular belief, they are not exclusively linked to aging.
The causes? They remain unclear. A genetic predisposition is often mentioned , as well as prolonged exposure to the sun, but no single cause has yet been scientifically proven. What is certain is that they can appear in anyone , men and women.
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