Rosacea
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a long term, progressive but cyclical skin condition generally occurring in people between the ages of 30-70. The exact cause of rosacea is unknown but some believe it’s the repeated blushing that eventually dilates the blood vessels and causes a permanent discoloration of the face. It usually starts with redness in the areas where you blush, e.g. cheeks most commonly, but also the nose, forehead, chin and/or neck. It may occur in any one or a combination of these areas. It often progresses to chronic inflammation when the face breaks out with red bumps (called papules), pimples, pustules or small blisters. While rosacea is more prevalent in women it is usually more severe in men. It is most common in fair-skinned individuals and seems to run in families. Because it tends to be progressive it is good to recognize and treat early. Approximately 13 million adults have this skin condition that can worsen over time if left untreated. Rosacea is not curable, but it is controllable. One should seek treatment as soon as possible to prevent progression of the disease.
Symptoms are brought on by various "triggers" that can include: extremes in temperature, sunlight, sunny or windy weather, caffeinated, alcoholic or hot foods and drinks, spicy foods, stress, embarrassment, nicotine, exercise and stimulating or irritating skin care products. Rubbing, scrubbing, or massaging the face may only irritate the reddened skin. The redness caused by these "triggers" comes and goes, gradually appearing more often and staying longer until it does not go away. Without treatment, it can worsen and eventually cause other symptoms, including: red lines caused by swollen blood vessels just beneath the skin, small red bumps or little pimples filled with pus and an enlarged bumpy nose and puffy cheeks. Approximately one-half of the people have some eye involvement characterized by "red eyes" that may be irritated and "blood shot."
What are the Best Treatments for Rosacea?
Our "gold standard" treatment is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) photorejuvenation using VascuLight technology, which successfully treats the dilated blood vessels that cause the redness without injuring the surrounding healthy skin. IPL technology is a treatment breakthrough that can correct a variety of benign skin conditions such as rosacea, facial skin imperfections, birthmarks, port wine stains, unsightly small veins and other blemishes. It offers a safe, non-invasive solution that can be tailored to your individual condition and skin type and requires no recovery ("down time"). At Enhanced Aesthetics, this treatment protocol, combined with our Full Effect™ program, produces consistently superior results.
As part of the above program we also can recommend topical agents such as Noritate, Rosac, and Diroséal. While topical agents alone have helped in about 18% of our patients, adding IPL has brought this up to 94%, thus the Full Effect™ combination of the two is a tried and true successful treatment methodology.
Treatment is also directed at cool-cleansing methods, a stress-reducing lifestyle and dietary changes and by avoiding the various "triggers" that cause the development of the symptoms described above. One should always use sunscreen and avoid the sun as much as possible by totally avoiding the midday sun and wearing a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses whenever possible. Men should use an electric razor and both men and women should avoid facial products that sting or burn such as alcohol, witch hazel or menthol. While there are various medications, including the oral and topical antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, antioxidants, and gentle skin care products that are often used for the treatment of rosacea we believe that our Intense Pulsed Light Photorejuvenation is a breakthrough technique and, when combined with our Full Effect™ program, will give you significant improvement for your rosacea. Treatments effectively reduce redness and control skin thickening. Because rosacea is a cyclical skin condition our patients find they can sustain their improvement by returning for additional "maintenance" treatments on an individual schedule as necessary. |
