In children as well as in adults, capillaroscopy is an unsophisticated and non invasive technique which allows to investigate vascular acrosyndromes and systemic diseases. We have studied nailfold capillaroscopy patterns in 80 children without over vascular or systemic disease: pericapillary halos and haemorrhages increased with age and capillaries matured towards the typical hair pin structure seen in adults. The number of minor dystrophies increased with age and the venous subpapillary plexuses became less easily visible.