Research On Veins

Veins are a part of my makeup design for Lucy as she is a vampire and I would like to incorporate veins/broken capillaries under the eyes for the un-dead look. I decided look into and research about veins under the eyes as I want my creation to look realistic and natural. Veins are tubes of the blood circulation system that carry oxygenated blood to the heart while arteries carry deoxygenated blood away from the heart.

What we usually assume to be veins under the eyes are known as broken capillaries. These are tiny blood vessels that appear on the first layer of the skin. They are usually known as spider veins as they have the appearance that relates to the shape of a it. These little veins appear n the skin as they have risen from the beneath layers of the skin to the top most surface that is the epidermis.

Spider veins can be caused by a number of things. They can be genetically developed in some cases and in most cases they are caused due to the skins exposure to the sun. As we age the skin looses its elasticity and this also causes the veins to be more visible on the skin. Skin diseases like skin rosacea also cause spider veins to develop. Spider veins are normally blue/purple in colour, very thin and usually have a faded appearance to them as they sit just under the skin.


Ref:
Dr Puneet Gupta. Blue Veins Under Eyes [viewed 8th March 2016] Available From: http://www.drpuneetgupta.co.uk/procedures/spider-veins.html
Cheryl Kurelo, 2013. Causes of Spider Veins on the Face [viewed 8th March 2016] Available From: http://www.livestrong.com/article/197714-causes-of-spider-veins-on-the-face/