Rosacea Treatment- Things You Should Know About
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition which causes the skin on the face to become red and swell. It can also appear on the neck, chest, scalp and ears. Severe cases can be accompanied by sores and welts that appear to the untrained eye to be acne. In fact, many people who suffer from rosacea mistakenly believe they have adult-onset acne. To further muddy the waters, one of the symptoms are red and yellow papules and pustules that are for all intents and purposes indistinguishable from pimples.
Signs that You Have Rosacea
There are a few common symptoms you should look out for. Burning and itching, accompanied by stinging, are a common effect, as is swelling of the face. The burning and itching is often accompanied by a flushed red skin tone from just below the eyes down to the mouth. This flushing can be spread evenly across the face or it can be in patches on one cheek or the other.
We’ve all seen the old men with cherry red faces and bulbous noses. If left untreated, rosacea can cause swelling that contributes to a condition called rhinophyma, in which the nose becomes bulbous and lumpy because excess tissue develops beneath the skin.
Approximately 50 percent of all rosacea sufferers will develop dry, flaky skin in the affected area. Acne medications used to clear up the acne can make rosacea worse because they have a drying effect on the skin. Consult with your physician if you think you have both rosacea and adult acne.
Here’s a list of the many symptoms of rosacea:
• Flushing or blushing that comes and goes.
• Pastules and pustules.
• Bumps and lumps on the face.
• Red skin resembling a sunburn.
• Small blood vessels appearing on the skin.
• Burning.
• Stinging.
• Itching.
• Red and watery eyes.
• Red and swollen eyelids.
• Dry skin.
• Flaky skin (may also be a sign of seborrheic dermatitis).
• Edema (facial swelling).
• Red, bulbous nose.
Rosacea treatment through medical methods
Rosacea is difficult to treat medically, as the true cause isn’t know. The four subtypes are all handled differently, depending on the symptoms exhibited. Medical therapy has to be designed to treat the symptoms as opposed to treating the underlying problem.
Facial redness and flushing is the hardest symptom to treat. It’s easier to treat through identification and elimination of triggers than it is to treat medically. Severe visible blood vessels and redness can be eliminated through laser treatments. It usually takes more than one session and may require a lifetime of follow-up visits. As far as oral medications go, anti-hypertensives can reduce flushing.
Bumps and pimples are a little easier to treat. There are both oral and topical treatments available. Consult with your physician as to what your best bet is. Oral antibiotics have proven an effective treatment in recent years. Isotretinoin is used in severe cases. It shrinks the skins sebaceous glands, making acne less likely. It’s a powerful drug that has to be monitored closely if prescribed. Swelling and inflammation can be reduced through short-term use of oral steroids.
Early-stage thickening of the skin can be treated with medication. Left unchecked, severe thickening around the nose may occur. This has to be surgically removed. There are a number of removal options, including cryosurgery, electrosurgery and laser surgery.
Ocular irritation is treated with a combination of oral antibiotics and daily cleansings.
Recent studies have shown that a daily dose of aspirin can help reduce flushing. 81mg a day seemed to be the ticket.
Rosacea treatment through laser
Patients looking for relief from the skin damage and redness causes by advanced rosacea often find laser surgery to be their best option. The field of laser surgery has become so advanced that it’s now a matter of a few short, painless visits to the doctor’s office. There are a number of lasers used to treat rosacea, including the ND:YAG laser, the erbium:YAG laser and the KTP laser.
Intense pulsed light is a relatively new alternative to traditional laser treatment. IPL uses a broad-spectrum light that emits a spectrum from 500nm to 1200nm and can be customized for maximum efficiency. The light is used to heat the dermal capillaries in the affected area, destroying the tiny blood vessels that are causing the redness of the face.
Most patients see significant improvement in the condition of their skin after one or two visits. It usually takes a handful of sessions to complete treatment. Rosacea can eventually return, so follow-up visits years down the road may be required to touch things up.
Most patients report rosacea treatment through laser as uncomfortable, but not excessively painful. The discomfort is so minor most doctor’s don’t apply numbing cream prior to the treatment session. It’s rare to hear someone complain of pain during a treatment session. Because pain is kept to a minimum, recovery time is almost immediate. Some redness or swelling may occur immediately after treatment, but usually subside within a few hours of treatment. Bruising may also occur. This takes a little longer to heal, but is rarely painful.
If you decide to go this route, look for a doctor experienced in rosacea treatment with lasers. In order to effectively treat rosacea with a laser, the doctor has to be able to effectively remove the redness without damaging the skin. An unskilled doctor can overdo the rosacea treatment and make white marks appear in the treated area. These marks will require additional laser treatments.
Rosacea treatment through natural methods
Patients who don’t respond to traditional treatment techniques may want to try out these frequently used natural treatments. Most of them haven’t been proven to work scientifically. As with all treatments, consult with your physician before trying any of them:
• Chrysanththellum Indicum Cream. This cream recently showed promising results in a recent study. Applying the cream twice daily showed significant improvement in patients who applied it every day for three months.
• Green Tea Cream. Green tea cream can be used to help reduce the number of bumps and pustules.
• Herb Licorice. Can reduce redness if applied daily for four to eight weeks.
• Digestive Enzymes. Indigestion often goes hand-in-hand with rosacea. Taking digestive enzymes can help alleviate indigestion and may help treat the other effects of rosacea.
• Niacinamide Cream. This cream is used as a topical treatment for rosacea. It is believed to strengthen the skin.
• Azelaic Acid. Derived from whole grains. It slows skin bacteria growth and can reduce the appearance of acne-like effects. Side-effects of azelaic acid include skin-lightening and stinging local to the area where it’s applied.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. Taken orally to stimulate the body to release more digestive enzymes.
• Yoga. Relaxation and stress management can sometimes help.
• External Application of Borax and 1% Hydrogen Peroxide. This is believed to ward off the Demodex mites that may be responsible for the onset of rosacea.
• Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide.
• Aloe vera lotion. Apply morning and night for best results.
• Rhus Toxicodendron.
• Arsenicum Album.
• Sea Buckthorn Lotion.
• Tea Tree Oil.
• Chamomile Tea.
• Manuka Honey.
