Rosacea Explained
What is 'rosacea'?
Rosacea is a chronic condition that we often see in adults, the cause of which is uncertain but there certain hypotheses. Some people feel it's an adult form of acne. Other people think it's a reaction to a mite found in the skin called demodex. That's a hypothesis that has been talked about in literature many times. And a lot of people don't know what causes rosacea. It can show up out of the blue. And often times there's no cure. It is a chronic condition that's with you, forever.
What triggers rosacea to appear?
Rosacea can be triggered by several things. Diet is a huge factor in triggering rosaceous. Spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, red wines, certain cheeses can cause triggering of rosaceous. You have to use a sunscreen also, because being out in the sunlight can trigger rosaceous.
What does rosacea look like?
Rosacea is often seen in the T-zone of the face. It can look like acne bumps. It can look like pus bumps. And often times people get flushing in their cheeks with a little fine vessel broke. In severe rosacea, rosacea that's been untreated for years people can get over growth skin on their nose called a rhinophyma. And that need a surgical reversion. These phymidus changes so to speak, which are excess oil glands can also occur on the jaw, on the ears less commonly, but are most commonly seen on the nose giving a very bulbous nose pattern.
How can a doctor help me with rosacea?
Treatment of rosacea is very exciting in dermatology because now we have more treatments than we had before. There are some topical creams, that some are antibiotics that can be used. There are oral medications including oral antibiotics that can be used. And more recently the use of the V-Beam laser to treat the blood vessels and the oil glands can lead to dramatic improvement in one's rosacea.
Can rosacea be cured?
Can rosacea be cured is very good question. By cure, you are assuming that the patient is done with it and never has to be treat it again. And probably there's no true cure for rosacea. Once you have rosacea you have to have some kind of baseline treatment, probably for life. But we can dramatically improve rosacea with topical medication, medications, or the use of a laser.
