Rosacea Treatments
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a condition where the cheeks, nose, chin, and possibly the forehead flush and blush easily and maintain that background redness in absence of physical or emotional stimuli. For most people, rosacea is the background blush and redness on their cheeks that has no symptoms but produces a look or hue that interferes with their otherwise clear complexion.
As rosacea progresses, tiny blood vessels may begin to appear on the cheeks and nose. The facial or nasal vessels become permanent and can increase over time. If you’ve noticed someone with blood vessels on the tip or sides of their nose, chances are that they have rosacea that has progressed over time. Other people with the condition can progress to get acne on their cheeks, nose, or forehead. This is termed “acne rosacea” and can be considered stage 2 rosacea (out of the 3). Here is a summary of the different stages of rosacea:
- Stage 1: blushing, flushing, and facial/nasal vessels
- Stage 2: acne on the cheeks, nose, forehead, or chin with the background redness +/- sebaceous hyperplasia (enlarged oil glands)
- Stage 3: enlarged nose (rhynophyma) or chin (gnathophyma) +/- sebaceous hyperplasia (enlarged oil glands)
What makes rosacea worse?
There are a variety of factors that trigger or worsen Rosacea:
- Stress or emotional distress
- Sun exposure
- Hot foods, hot liquids
- Alcohol
- Spicy foods
- Anything that can make you blush or flush (exercise, hot showers, etc)
What are the treatments for rosacea?
There is no cure for rosacea. The treatments for rosacea include:
- Topical creams (Metrogel or Finacea)
- Oral doxycycline or minocycline
- Sulfur and Sodium Sulfacetamide washes
- Intense Pulsed Light or VBeam Laser treatment
More information
Here is more information on rosacea and possible treatments:
Still have questions about rosacea and the treatments we offer? Call us at 310.205.3555 or 818.914.7546, email us, or click on the chat box on the right lower edge of your screen. We’d be happy to help!
