ROSACEA (FACIAL REDNESS)

Rosacea is a chronic (long term) skin condition. Rosacea symptoms are flushing or redness on the face. Facial redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead is mostly accompanied by a slight swelling and burning feeling. Rosacea commonly affects people with fair skin and blue eyes. It typically occurs in people between the ages of 30 and 60. Most Men seeking rosacea treatment often suffer from rhinophyma, which is the thickening of the skin on the nose making it swollen and bulbous.

Let us look at the causes, treatment and controlling measures below :

CAUSE OF ROSACEA/FACIAL REDNESS
Rosacea can show up as :

• Persistent redness on cheeks

• Diffuse redness on neck

• Redness on nose

• Visible blood vessels (broken capillaries) on face

• Red spots or areas on the face with associated flushing or blushing

• Swelling and/or scaling of the skin

• Raised red lumps or even pustules that resemble acne

• Will often by aggravated by spicy food, emotional stress, alcohol and exercise

• Reactive, sensitive skin that is irritated by make-up and skin creams/oils

• Red, irritated, tired eyes that are prone to styes (ocular rosacea)

• Swollen and thickened skin which can affect the cheeks and nose (rhinophyma)

INTENSE PULSED LIGHT (IPL) ROSACEA/REDNESS ON FACE TREATMENT
IPL is a safe and effective treatment to reduce the following symptoms of rosacea:

• Telangiectasia or dilation of blood vessels.

• Facial erythema or persistent redness.

• Flushing.

• Papular and pustular lesions.

• Sensitive skin with a tendency to skin irritation

IPL treatments are spaced at least one month apart and typically require 3-5 treatments to achieve the best results. With the ongoing treatments we will start to see significant improvements in redness and veins associated with rosacea. Rosacea can be a persistent skin condition and have associated flare ups. Most patients with moderate to severe rosacea will require top up treatments to maintain the result over the years.

GENERAL MEASURES TO CONTROL ROSACEA/FACIAL REDNESS ALONGSIDE IPL
TREATMENTS

• Avoid creams/oils, spicy foods, alcohol or whatever environmental factors exacerbate your rosacea.

• Water based rather than creamy or oily skin care/make-up/sunscreen.

• Avoid applying steroid creams to your rosacea. It will calm it initially, but make it worse in the longer term.

• Protect your face from sun exposure with a hat and by using water based SPF.

• Ask your therapist to help you find skin care that doesn’t aggravate your rosacea facial redness.