Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition involving inflammation and redness of the face. It is often referred to as adult acne. It frequently begins as a tendency to flush or blush easily. As it progresses, people often develop persistent redness of the nose and cheeks. The redness may extend to the forehead and chin over time. Enlarged spiderlike blood vessels may develop, especially around the nose and on the cheeks. Skin eruptions similar to acne may appear and there may be some oozing or crusting in the affected areas. In more advanced or chronic cases, thickening of the skin and textural changes may occur.
Rosacea is very common and usually occurs in fair-skinned adults. Women are more prone to rosacea, but men are usually more severely affected. Dr. Hearth can discuss ways of avoiding possible triggers and thus reduce flare-ups, as well as developing a treatment plan that is specific for your type of rosacea.
Treatment
- Topical medications: there are many different types of medications that, when used alone or in combination with other treatments, provide excellent results.
- Oral medications: rosacea/acne antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications may be used.
- Laser treatments: V-Beam® laser and Intense Pulsed Light (Palomar Pulsed Light System®) treatments are very effective in the treatment of rosacea. They can reduce the redness of the skin, improve breakouts, and reduce/eliminate enlarged capillaries.
