Information About Rosacea
Rosacea is a skin condition that is not contagious or infectious. the individual who has rosacea has a hyper-reaction to skin irritants and triggers that cause reddening of the skin, and hyper-sensitivity to blood vessels of the face.
Men and women of all races can suffer from rosacea.
Triggers are element contained in products used on the face that irritate the skin or the small blood vessels of the face. The triggers can be emotional that cause the blood vessels to dial ate like anger, and embarrassment. Stress can also cause small blood vessels to dial ate. Other triggers are environmental like heat from the sun, extreme cold or heat in the environment, harsh winds, or food and drink especially hot items. Menopause has also been thought to be a trigger for women.
Having acne does not predispose you to having rosacea as an adult. It has actually been noted by those who have rosacea that they had clear complexion as a teen.
Rosacea usually appears in the same spots on the face because the small blood vessels are located in these areas and it is the small blood vessels that are hyper-sensitive to the triggers.
Rosacea patients often report worsened conditions during seasonal changes when the things that trigger them are environmental. Usually the skin adapts to these environmental triggers within 4 to 6 weeks.
The typical treatment plan for rosacea is to start out with both an oral anti-inflammatory (antibiotic or accutane) and to also prescribe a topical medication usually a metronidazole based one. Usually the treatment is for 4 to 6 months. Once the rosacea is under control the treatment cuts down to just the topical medication. This keeps the skin from further flare-ups.
Sometimes individuals are concerned about sweating as in doing sports while using topical medications. The topical medications used to treat rosacea are absorbed by the skin. The medication will dry. Then it is possible to put on liquid makeup or moisturizer without a problem so it is also ok to sweat after the topical medication has had a chance to dry.
It is quite common for broken facial blood vessels to pop up after the redness clears up. These were actually there but were hidden by the reddened skin. Although you may not like the appearance of these small blood vessels, they are actually a sign that the treatment is working (because the redness cleared up).
Topical hydrocortisone at any strength can worsen the symptoms of rosacea. It can also cause you to experience rebound dilation of small facial blood vessels.
Topical retinoid are not the medication of choice for rosacea because it will cause facial flushing and cause further irritation. It will also cause new blood vessels to grow and cause existing blood vessels to be more reactive to environmental and skincare irritants. Benzoyl peroxide should not be used on skin that has rosacea on it.
Anything that irritates the skin should not be used as a treatment for rosacea including dermabrasion or laser resurfacing. This irritation will worsen the flushing that may trigger permanent reddened face. It can also create burning sensations over the face. The only time that these treatments are indicated are if the patient is suffering from rhinophyma which is a thickening of the nose (extreme case of rosacea). If these treatments are used in this case, it is done to reshape the nose and not to get rid of the rosacea.
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