Are you Suffering from Rosacea?

If you suffer from pimples, spots, facial redness, blushing, flushing and broken veins, you may have Rosacea. To find out more about this debilitating condition read on….

Rosacea is not just a cosmetic condition because for many Rosacea sufferers it can be a significant cause of psychological distress and low self-esteem. Often sufferers are self-conscious and embarrassed that others may think they are flustered, have high blood pressure or have even a “drink problem”.

The biggest problem for Rosacea sufferers is that this condition is commonly misdiagnosed as acne or dermatitis. It is not unusual that Rosacea patients are incorrectly treated with topical steroids such as cortopin or hydrocortisone which can make the condition worse. The traits of those most commonly affected with Rosacea can be summed up with this statement “Typically fair skinned women in 30-50’s with blonde hair and blue eyes”. Obviously there may be exceptions to this stereotype and men are also prone to Rosacea.

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a vascular condition caused by inflammation of the facial blood vessels. The true cause of Rosacea is unknown. Typical symptoms include facial redness, pimples and eye irritation. Facial redness tends to affect the cheeks, nose or forehead. When this facial redness is chronic it can result in permanent redness. Rosacea can also result in thickened facial skin, spider veins and unsightly blood vessels. Skin sensitivity to certain products is common as is facial dryness with visible flaking of facial skin in affected areas.

Other symptoms of Rosacea include flushing and blushing and even acne breakouts.

Rosacea skin can feel hot and sensitive to heat and may be aggravated by exercise, sun exposure, eating spicy foods, hot showers, alcohol particularly red wine, steam rooms or saunas.

Rosacea Treatment Tips

If you suffer Rosacea you can “banish the blush” by following these simple steps…

1. Avoid greasy skincare products including moisturisers, opt for water based products instead. Even though skin may be dry or flaky it is not recommended to exfoliate dead skin cells as this may worsen your rosacea.
2. Never ever apply a topical steroid cream on your face.
3. Avoid common triggers such as alcohol, steam rooms saunas etc. Work out what are the triggers for you and minimise your exposure to these.
4. When selecting sunscreen, make sure your products are oil- free.
5. Treatments for spots and pimples associated with Rosacea include prescription creams available from your doctor i.e. Rozex, Skinorein and oral antibiotics (tetracycline, doxycycline, lymecycline to name a few. These treatments may be used intermittently or on an ongoing basis.
6. Avoid treatments such as microdermabrasion which can aggravate broken veins and certain facials may also trigger your symptoms.
7. For broken capillaries or spider veins, laser treatments with devices such Intense Pulsed light, KTP or Nd:Yag lasers are very effective. It is important to point out that none of the above treatments are curative as Rosacea is a chronic condition. Maintenance laser or IPL treatments may be necessary every few months to keep your skin radiant and free of broken veins.
8. Ideally attend a doctor led laser clinic for your treatment to ensure that you are given the correct diagnosis and treatment. In addition a clinic with a doctor on site has the added benefit of ensuring that all treatment modalities are made available to you including prescription strength antibiotic creams and oral antibiotics. This may not be the case in many high street laser clinics.

You are not alone, many celebrities also suffer from Rosacea such as Cameron Diaz and Cynthia Nixon who starred in Sex and the City.

Rosacea Treatment in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin

Rest assured with the right help from an expert there is a “rosier future for Rosacea sufferers”.

To arrange a consultation with Dr Lisa Fay please phone 01 685 3100.