MODEL RELEASED. Image 1 of 3. Cosmetic laser surgery. Broken skin vessels on a patient's cheek. The cheek's outer layer of skin (epidermis) is lighter as it has been removed for surgery by using a chemical peel. This allows the laser beam to penetrate without having to go through layers of dead skin. The laser will remove the broken vessels, which are known as spider veins or sunburst varicosities. The laser focuses extreme light and heat energy on a very small area leaving the surrounding tissue intact. For a sequence showing the operation and the face post operation see images M590/148 and M590/149.