Rosacea Treatment

Rosacea (roe-ZAY-she-uh) is a common skin condition that causes blushing or flushing and visible blood vessels in your face. It may also produce small, pus-filled bumps. These signs and symptoms may flare up for weeks to months and then go away for a while. roe-ZAY-she-uh can be mistaken for acne.

What is Rosacea

Rosacea on the face
Rosacea on the face

Many individuals suffer from Rosacea, a chronic skin condition characterized by persistent redness of the central face. It is an inflammatory process that can present with small pimples and dilated small visible vessels within the reddened areas, especially on the chin, cheeks and nose. Many lifestyle factors can cause roe-ZAY-she-uh to flare up. Common triggers are hot and cold weather, alcohol, sun exposure, stress, and hot or spicy food and drinks.

Over two million Canadians are known to be affected by roe-ZAY-she-uh. It typically develops between ages 30 to 50 and tends to occur more often in women than men. It is a chronic condition often misdiagnosed as acne. It cannot be cured but definitely can be controlled.

Symptoms of Rosacea

The biggest thing you’ll notice is redness on your cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Less often, the color can appear on your neck, head, ears, or chest. After a while, broken blood vessels might show through your skin. Up to half of the people with roe-ZAY-she-uh also get eye problems like redness, swelling, and pain.

Other symptoms you may get are:

  • Stinging and burning of your skin
  • Patches of rough, dry skin
  • A swollen, bulb-shaped nose
  • Larger pores
  • Broken blood vessels on your eyelids
  • Bumps on your eyelids
  • Problems with seeing

What Causes Rosacea?

According to the latest research, it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as a compromised immune system, possessing fair or light skin, a family history of rosacea, or suffering too much exposure to sunlight. Doctors don’t know exactly what causes this problem. A few things that may play a role are:

Your genes: Rosacea often runs in families.

Blood vessel trouble. The redness on your skin might be due to problems with blood vessels in your face. Sun damage could cause them to get wider, which makes it easier for other people to see them.

Mites. They’re tiny insects. A type called Demodex folliculorum normally lives on your skin and usually isn’t harmful. Some people, though, have a heightened sensitivity to the mites, or more of these bugs than usual.. Too many mites could irritate your skin.

Bacteria. A type called H. pylori normally lives in your gut. Some studies suggest this germ can raise the amount of a digestive hormone called gastrin, which might cause your skin to look flushed.

Some things about you may make you more likely to get roe-ZAY-she-uh. For instance, your chances of getting the skin condition go up if you:

  • Have light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes
  • Are between ages 30 and 50
  • Are a woman
  • Have family members with rosacea
  • Had severe acne
  • Smoke

How is Rosacea Treated:

As we mentioned earlier, Rosacea can’t be completely cured, but our range of professional treatments have greatly helped Rosacea patients see tremendous improvement in their skin appearance. The best success is usually achieved through a tailored treatment plan that includes prevention, correction, and ongoing (lifelong) maintenance and management.
Early diagnosis and treatment is important to control roe-ZAY-she-uh and prevent its progression. The primary goal of treatment is to control redness, inflammation, skin eruptions, and avoid rosacea triggers — factors that cause the skin to flush.