Rosacea or acne rosacea is a persistent and chronic skin condition which causes flushing or redness on the face.
Facial redness (facial erythema) on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead are mostly accompanied by a slight swelling and burning feeling. It can occasionally extend to the skin on the neck, chest, ears and scalp areas.
Rosacea commonly affects people with fair skin. It typically occurs in women between the ages of 30 and 60, though instances of rosacea in men are not uncommon. In some cases it affects women during menopause. Men often suffer from rhinophyma, which is the thickening of the skin on the nose making it swollen and bulbous.
One of the major advancements in the treatment of rosacea has been the use of lasers and a non-laser light therapy called Elos Medical IPL (combination of IPL and radiofrequency).
IPL uses a non-laser light source. IPL can be safely and effectively used to reduce the following symptoms of rosacea:
At Palm Clinic we use Elos Galaxy IPL often in conjunction with Coolglide 1064nm NdYag laser. Typically over several treatments we see significant improvements in redness and veins associated with rosacea and significant reduction in facial veins.
Treatments are spaced at least one month apart and typically require 3-5 treatments to achieve acceptable results. Most patients with moderate to severe rosacea will require top up treatments to maintain the result over the years.
Causes of rosacea are not well known. Rosacea is often considered a hereditary condition. It is also said that rosacea is likely to occur in people who blush a lot. Occurrence of rosacea can be associated with environmental, chemical, food or emotional triggers. Common triggers include exposure to extreme heat and cold weather, hot beverages and spicy foods, and alcohol consumption. As a large number of hair follicle mites (Demodex folliculorum) are found in rosacea papules, they are also a possible cause of rosacea. The stomach bacterium helicobacter pylori is also reported to be associated with rosacea, though most dermatologists disagree with this theory. Rosacea may worsen with the use of facial creams, oils and topical steroids.
There are 4 sub-types of rosacea.
There are four acknowledged stages of rosacea.
It can lead to frustration due to the unattractive appearance and the discomfort experienced. It can mar the personal, social and professional life of the individual. In extreme cases the psychological effects of such a condition can be very serious and can cause the patients to become reclusive. Rosacea is primarily a facial occurrence and develops gradually. In its initial stages, patients often mistake the facial flushing, papules and pustules for adult acne, sun burn or normal signs of ageing.
There is no cure for rosacea. But there are various rosacea treatments to control rosacea effectively. Your Palm Clinic doctor will determine a treatment plan for you depending on the extent of damage to the skin. IPL and laser treatments are most useful for the facial redness and flushing.
The first line of treatment for the pustules associated with rosacea is often topical or oral antibiotics generally prescribed by the family doctor. Metronidazole (Rosex) is generally given as a topical antibiotic. Oral medications include tetracycline antibiotics like tetracycline, doxycycline and minocycline. The antibiotic rosacea gel or rosacea cream should be applied on the entire face instead of on the lesion spots alone.
The eyelids should be cleaned everyday with a diluted baby shampoo or a rosacea cleanser for the eyelids. Warm compresses should be applied on the eyelids a few times a day.
For treatment of rosacea in the advanced stages like rhinophyma, laser or radiofrequency surgery is the ideal method to remove the excess tissue on the nose.
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Please note that individual results may vary from patient to patient, and the information provided on our website is only a guidance to the possible results.
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