Rosacea Treatments
Rosacea (pronounced roh-ZAY-sha) is a chronic skin disorder which affects millions of men and women, many of which do not even know it. It most often occurs in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 and is more common in women (particularly during menopause) than men. Although rosacea can develop in people of any skin color, it tends to occur most frequently and is most apparent in people with fair skin.
Signs and Symptoms:
Rosacea causes flushing, persistent redness, bumps and pimples, visible blood vessels, burning, stinging, and itching of the skin. Though rosacea primarily affects the face, it can develop onto other areas such as the neck, chest, scalp, and ears. Many people experience more than one of these signs and, if left untreated, it can progress into severe conditions.
Causes:
The cause of rosacea still remains unknown, but many experts believe it is a disorder where the blood vessels become damaged when repeatedly dilated by certain stimuli. The damage causes the vessels to dilate too easily and stay dilated for longer periods of time or remains permanently dilated, resulting in flushing and redness. The most recognized stimuli that trigger rosacea include:
Foods: Liver, yogurt, sour cream, cheese (except cottage cheese), chocolate, vanilla, yoy sauce, yeast extract (bread is ok), vinegar, eggplant, avocados, spinach, broad-leaf beans and pods, including lima, navy or pea, citrus fruits, including tomatoes, bananas, red plums, raisins or figs, spicy and thermally hot foods, foods high in histamine.
Temperature/Weather Related: Saunas, hot baths, simple overheating, excessively warm environments, sun, strong winds, cold, humidity
Beverages: Alcohol, especially red wine, beer, bourbon, gin, vodka or champagne. Hot drinks, including hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee or tea
Medical/Emotional Influences: Frequent flushing menopause chronic cough, caffeine withdrawal syndrome, stress, anxiety, exercise. Drugs such as vasodilators and topical steroids.
Skin Care Products: Some cosmetics and hair sprays, especially those containing alcohol, witch hazel or fragrances, Hydro-alcoholic or acetone substances, any substance that causes redness or stinging.
Treatments:
Intense Pulse Light (IPL) therapy offers one of the best treatments for rosacea , especially the erythema (redness) of the skin. The intense light penetrates the epidermis to target and heat up the capillaries on the dermis layer of the skin. The heat causes damage to the capillary walls where they are absorbed by the body’s natural defense mechanism. After treatment, the damaged vessels are absorbed by the body resulting in little or no trace of the initial lesion. Often times oral doxycycline antibiotics are used in combination with IPL treatments. The antibiotics are prescribed to relieve inflammation, papules, pustules, and some redness.
Because the signs and symptoms of rosacea vary from one patient to another, treatment must be tailored for each individual case. It is important to have a gentle skin cleansing regimen such as Kinerase® , using non-irritating cleansers. Daily use of a sunscreen with at least a SPF 30 is extremely important in protecting rosacea skin.
