What Is Rosacea and What Are The Treatment Options?

Though you may have heard of rosacea, you might not know that much about it. If that is the case, you are not alone. A lot of people, even those who experience rosacea symptoms, are not completely clued up on what causes the skin condition and how to go about getting it treated.

Despite being a common skin condition, there is a lot of misconception and a lack of understanding about rosacea.

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a skin condition that is most commonly seen in women and those with lighter skin, though anybody can be affected. It presents as redness, which may look similar to blushing, and symptoms are sporadic. Those with darker skin can also experience rosacea, but the symptoms are usually less noticeable. Rosacea does tend to become more consistent over time, which is why it’s important to seek treatment as early as possible. Rosacea usually shows up around the cheeks, chin, forehead and bottom of the nose.

What causes Rosacea?

The majority of people with rosacea are diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50, but it can affect people in other age categories. The cause of rosacea is currently unknown, but it does need to be triggered to cause a flare-up. It may be due to a genetic predisposition or an abnormal response to environmental triggers, such as sun exposure or alcohol consumption. Rosacea can also cause blood vessels to become visible through the skin, and this is why some people with rosacea experience facial thread veins.

The Main Symptoms of Rosacea

There are a number of physical symptoms of rosacea, which experts look for when diagnosing the skin condition. These include

• Redness on the face or cheeks
• Regular blushing
• Dilated blood vessels
• A burning sensation on the facial skin
• Pustules and papules that are similar to acne
• Dry skin, swelling and yellow patches of skin.

Sometimes, the physical symptoms of rosacea can be worsened by the fear and embarrassment that comes with having rosacea in public. For example, the worry about having rosacea could cause blushing symptoms to get worse.

It’s difficult to know what exactly causes the symptoms of rosacea, but there are a range of triggers that can make symptoms worse.

• Extreme temperatures – for example, being very warm or very cold
• Exercise
• Drinking alcohol
• Stress
• Sunburn
• Sunlight
• Hot drinks
• Cheese
• Caffeine
• Spicy food

All of these separate things have all been linked to rosacea. Whereas some people with rosacea have symptoms throughout the year, others notice their symptoms are less troublesome during the warmer months.

Treatment Options for Rosacea

Many people with rosacea are unaware that they have it, as mild symptoms do look similar to blushing or the redness associated with sensitive skin. This is why it’s hard to diagnose and is often misdiagnosed as something completely different.

Despite affecting close to 12% of people, rosacea is a skin condition that is often left untreated. This could cause rhinopehyma, which is an enlargement of the nose. As the signs of rosacea can become more severe if left untreated, it’s important to take action as soon as possible.

Thankfully, there are a range of treatment options for rosacea. Though these treatments will not cure rosacea completely, they can help to manage the physical symptoms associated with the condition.

Treating Rosacea with conventional medication.

If Rosacea is complicated by Pustules and Papules, oral Antibiotics (in particular long acting Tetracyclines) can reduce unwanted inflammation. Evidence appears to suggest that an overabundance of Demodex may trigger an immune response in people with rosacea. Topical Ivermectin (Soolantra) is effective at targeting this mite.

Topical Metronidazole can sometimes be mildly effective in managing these symptoms. Topical Brimonidine (Mirvaso) can effectively reduce redness, but its use is limited by rebound flushing in some patients.

Laser treatment for Rosacea

Flushing, diffuse redness and facial thread veins are all treated with laser therapy. The Vbeam Prima (PDL 595nm /Nd YAG 1064nm) is gold standard and will outperform the Cutera Excel V+ for the following reasons:

•  Vbeam Prima DCD cooling is more spatially selective than sapphire window or forced cold air, directly targeting and protecting he epidermis. This enables higher fluences with increased safety resulting in superior outcomes and reduced side effects (particularly oedema)
• The PDL 595nm is deeper penetrating than the KTP 532nm enabling deeper vascular feeders to be targeted. This is especially important if flushing is a major symptom.

IPL technology is now considered obsolete in the management of Rosacea at Cambridge laser Clinic.

How to stop a Rosacea flare up?

People with rosacea are advised to reduce exposure to sunlight, alcohol consumption, spicy foods, hot beverages and anything else that causes their symptoms to worsen. 

Laser treatment for Rosacea at Cambridge Laser Clinic

A specialist clinic will always deliver superior clinical results for the following reasons.

The best technology available enables:

1. The treatment of unwanted vasculature at multiple depths – superficial / medium and deep. A wide range of spot sizes is required to achieve this 
2. The treatment of vessels of different diameters – thin /medium and thick. A wide range of pulse widths are required to achieve this

The best laser operators are required to unleash the technologies capabilities.

Both of these components (technology and operator) are needed for the magic to happen!

To find out more about the treatment of unwanted Rosacea symptoms, speak to a specialist.