The Scoop on Rosacea
Unfortunately, Rosacea rarely clears up on its own,
and it tends to worsen over time if left untreated. If
you experience persistent redness of your face, see your
doctor or a skin specialist for proper treatment. Many
over-the-counter skin care products contain ingredients
such as acids, alcohol and other irritants, that may
actually worsen Rosacea. Because of the progressive
nature of Rosacea, an early diagnosis is important.
Treatments tend to be more effective the earlier
they're started.
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is an inflammatory skin disease that causes
mild to extreme facial redness. You may mistake some
of its characteristics — small, red, pus-filled bumps or
pustules —for acne. In fact, Rosacea has been called
adult acne or acne Rosacea, but the disease has little to
do with the pimples and blackheads that commonly
afflict teenagers. It's also a misconception that this red-faced condition is
caused by drinking alcoholic beverages.
There are varying schools of thought as to the exact cause of Rosacea, more recently studies by
specialist dermatologists have re-classified the disease as an inflammatory vascular condition,
linked to and caused by excessive flushing of the skin over a prolonged period of time. The
repeated dilation of the blood vessels causing the intense redness of the skin.
Undoubtedly there does also seem to be a heredity link. Those that have close relatives with
Rosacea tend to be more prone to developing it as well.
Symptoms of Rosacea
One of the symptoms of Rosacea that causes the most distress to sufferers is the appearance of
fierce redness - almost like a severe burn to the skin. Facial redness can be masked to a degree
by thick camouflage make up which is often green-tinted.
Accompanying the redness, sufferers can experience
highly uncomfortable flushing, stinging, burning and
tingling sensations which can feel almost unbearable.
Anything applied to the face can make the sensation
much worse.
Some people also suffer from acne-like break outs in
the face caused by the effects of the excessive flushing
on the pores. Skin can thicken and appear much more
coarse. All symptoms which make the condition even
more difficult to bear.
Like spider veins on the legs, facial redness from Rosacea can be treated extremely effectively
nowadays with LED light therapy and other options include pulsed light technologies including
photoderm, vasculight and epilight.
There are also highly effective skin care products available which have been developed
specifically for Rosacea sufferers helping them to manage the condition without recourse to
sometimes more invasive laser treatments.
Rosacea usually appears in phases:
- Pre-rosacea. Rosacea may begin as a simple tendency to flush or blush easily, then progress to
a persistent redness in the central portion of your face, particularly your nose. This redness
results from the dilation of blood vessels close to your skin's surface. This phase may sometimes
be referred to as pre-rosacea.
- Vascular Rosacea. As signs and symptoms worsen, vascular Rosacea may develop — small
blood vessels on your nose and cheeks swell and become visible (telangiectasia). Your skin may
become overly sensitive. Rosacea may also be accompanied by oily skin and dandruff.
- Inflammatory Rosacea. Small, red bumps or pustules may appear and persist, spreading across
your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. This is sometimes known as inflammatory Rosacea.
In severe and rare cases, the oil glands (sebaceous glands) in your nose and sometimes your
cheeks become enlarged, resulting in a buildup of tissue on and around your nose (rhinophyma).
This complication is much more common in men and develops very slowly over a period of years.
In addition, more than half the people with Rosacea experience ocular Rosacea — a burning and
gritty sensation in the eyes. Rosacea may cause the inner skin of the eyelids to become inflamed
or appear scaly, a condition known as conjunctivitis.
In most people Rosacea is cyclic, which means it may flare up for a period of weeks to months
and then signs and symptoms lessen for a while before Rosacea flares up again. Left untreated,
Rosacea tends to be progressive, which means it gets worse over time.
Besides acne, Rosacea can also be mistaken for other skin problems, such as skin allergy or
eczema. A severe case of Rosacea can result in red, round, raised bumps (papules) and bulbous
nose called rhinophyma.
What Causes Rosacea?
The exact cause of Rosacea is unknown, but researchers believe it's likely due to some
combination of hereditary and environmental factors.
One theory is that a blood vessel disorder causes vessels in the face to swell. Another is that the
cause of Rosacea is a chronic bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal system caused by a
Helicobacter pylori infection. Some researchers have suggested that tiny mites (Demodex
folliculorum) living in human hair follicles may play a role by clogging up sebaceous gland
openings. Most people with Rosacea have sun-damaged skin which may also play a contributing
role. None of these theories has been conclusively proved, however.
One thing is certain — alcohol doesn't cause Rosacea. While the consumption of alcohol can lead
to flushing of the skin and may worsen Rosacea, people who don't consume alcohol at all still
can get Rosacea.
Rosacea Triggers
Although the exact cause of Rosacea remains a mystery, a number of factors
can aggravate it or make it worse by increasing blood flow to the surface of
your skin.
Some of these include:
- Hot foods or beverages, Spicy foods
- Alcohol
- Temperature extremes
- Sunlight
- Stress, anger or embarrassment
- Strenuous exercise
- Hot baths, saunas
- Corticosteroids
- Drugs that dilate blood vessels,
including some blood pressure medications
Treatment Options
Although there's no way to eliminate Rosacea altogether, effective treatment can relieve its
signs and symptoms. Most often this requires a combination of facial treatments and certain self-
care measures on your part.
Your skin specialist may recommend certain moisturizers, soaps, sunscreens and other products
to improve the health of your skin. If hot flashes appear to trigger your Rosacea, you might ask
your doctor what treatment options are available for the signs and symptoms of menopause, if
applicable.
Medications
Doctors often prescribe topical antibiotics to treat Rosacea, more for their anti-inflammatory
properties than to kill bacteria. A common topical antibiotic prescribed is metronidazole
(Metrocream, Metrogel, Noritate). Another prescription medication is azelaic acid (Azelex,
Finacea), which reduces redness and inflammation.
Oral antibiotics also are prescribed because they tend to work faster than topical ones. In many
cases, dermatologists first prescribe both oral and topical antibiotics to lessen signs and
symptoms, followed by long-term use of a topical antibiotic alone to maintain remission. Some
of the most common prescription oral antibiotics include tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline
and erythromycin.
Isotretinoin (Accutane) is a powerful medication sometimes used for more severe cases of
inflammatory Rosacea. Doctors don't prescribe it for the treatment of mild cases or for
telangiectasia or for redness of the face. Usually prescribed for cystic acne, it works to inhibit
the production of oil by sebaceous glands. People who take it need close monitoring by a
dermatologist because of the possibility of serious side effects. In fact, the drug carries such
serious potential side effects that women of reproductive age must participate in an Food and
Drug Administration-approved monitoring program to receive a prescription for the drug.
Self-care Options
In addition to getting treatment from your doctor, you should play an active part in your
treatment. One of the most important things you can do if you have Rosacea is to minimize your
exposure to anything that causes a flare-up.
Because everyone is different, find out what factors affect you so that you can avoid them.
Keeping a running list of your own flare-up triggers might help you identify the things that are a
problem for you.
Here are other suggestions for preventing flare-ups:
- Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher to protect
your face from the sun.
- Protect your face in the winter with a scarf or ski mask.
- Avoid irritating your facial skin by rubbing or touching it too much.
- Avoid facial products that contain alcohol or other skin irritants.
- When using moisturizer with a topical medication apply the moisturizer after
the medication has dried.
- Use products that are labeled noncomedogenic. These won't clog your oil and
sweat gland openings (pores) as much.
- Avoid overheating.
- If you wear makeup, consider using green- or yellow-tinted pre-foundation
creams and powders, because they're designed to counter skin redness.
- Avoid alcohol.
A Light Touch
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Over fourteen million people in the United States alone have Rosacea with a larger
proportion of sufferers in several areas of Northern Europe - particularly those whose
inhabitants have pale "celtic" type skins. The majority of sufferers are women between
the ages of thirty and sixty and the real danger age for developing the condition is
around the 40's and 50's. Many women find the condition worsens after the menopause.
Rosacea is not life threatening,
it is usually a chronic disorder of flare-ups and
remissions that becomes increasingly severe
without long-term therapy.
Typically occurring on the face with symptoms
like blemishes, facial redness, enlarged pores
thickened skin, and heat sensitivity, it's not
surprising that Rosacea causes considerable
distress to those who suffer from it.
Although these facts cannot be changed, you can
personally take control of your condition and
restore your appearance by getting regular
calming facials, using skin care products
designed to soothe redness and irritation, and avoiding those lifestyle factors that
aggravate your individual case.
Despite its widespread nature, Rosacea is little known or understood - only one in five
Americans have ever heard of it and an amazing number of sufferers are not aware they
have the condition until diagnosed. More sadly, many believe there is nothing they can
do about it and continue to suffer in silence.
Effective Facials and Skin Care