Skincare Plans for:

• Acne
• Wrinkles
• Pigmentation
• Rosacea

Facts about Rosacea

What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic and stubborn inflammatory disease that occurs most commonly in middle-aged, fair-skinned adults. It is thought to afflict at least 30% to 50% of the US population (estimated at 14 million Americans). Rosacea is frequently misdiagnosed; even by physicians, many people don’t even know the disorder exists.

Rosacea is identified by its characteristic patterns of redness which often appears in a butterfly pattern over the nose and cheeks. In the beginning, the “blushing” can be intermittent; but eventually, it almost always increases in severity and can be accompanied by rashes, blemishes and noticeable capillaries.

If you notice any of the warning signs such as the following: facial redness that comes on suddenly and is not from overexposure to sun or wind; the appearance of superficial capillaries on the cheeks, nose or chin; bumps or blemishes on the skin that do not respond to standard acne treatments, you need to consider seeing a dermatologist.

What causes Rosacea?

The exact cause of rosacea is still unknown; however, it has long been suspected that some kind of parasite (likely Demodex folliculorum) under the skin is responsible for the symptoms, but there are other theories about a generalized vascular inflammatory disorder. The symptoms of rosacea are reasonably well understood as are variety of lifestyle factors (such as particular food and activities) that are known to trigger outbreaks in people that have this condition.

When rosacea first develops, it may appear, disappear and then reappear a short time later. Unfortunately, the condition rarely reverses itself and almost always becomes worse without treatments. Rosacea most often starts with skin that stays persistently red and doesn’t return to its normal color. Other symptoms, such as enlarged blood vessels, flaky patches, oily skin, skin sensitivities and breakouts become more and more visible.

Can Rosacea be cured?

At this time there is no complete cure for rosacea. Several treatments have been shown to be successful in reducing or eliminating the symptoms. These treatments, in combination with modifying the lifestyle factors can greatly reduce the day-to-day impact of the disease for most people. There are many things that can be done to bring this condition under control, minimize the symptoms and also prevent rosacea from progressing further.

The treatments for rosacea are varied and need to be carefully considered because what works for one person may be entirely different from what may work for someone else. Finding the treatment that works for you is critical to keeping this problem under control and reducing all symptoms.

Treatments

Unfortunately, all of the topical treatments for controlling rosacea are available only by prescription. They include:

• MetroGel, MetroCream, MetroLotion, Noritate Azelaic Acid
• Topical Sulfur preparations
• Differin Benzoyl peroxide with erythromycin
• Oral antibiotics
• Accutane

In conjunction with topical and oral prescription medicines, some non-ablative lasers and light therapy treatments have shown great promise in helping to restore rosacea-afflicted skin to its natural, non-reddened coloring and healthy appearance.

Skin care for rosacea

Whichever method of treatment or combination therapy you and your physician decide upon, it is important to take steps in your regular skin-care regiment to ensure that it is as gentle as possible. Fragrance and irritant-free products are paramount in addition to avoiding products containing alcohol.

Suggested treatments to improve symptoms of rosacea:

• BHA peel
• LED (red, near infrared and blue light)
• IPL Lasers (Sciton or Versapulse-C)

Until your rosacea is under control, you may want to avoid all sources of flare-ups which may include strenuous exercise, spending too much time outdoors when the weather is cold or hot, alcohol consumption, or anything that causes your skin to feel hot and redden or flush. Try to minimize your stress as much as possible. You may consider alternative methods of stress control such as meditation and yoga.