Can Rosacea be treated?

If you’re suffering from red, sensitive skin on your face then you may well have Rosacea. It often starts with just a flushing of the cheeks and nose, which can come and go.  Clients affected by Rosacea can feel really embarrassed, and debilitated by this condition.

As Rosacea gets worse it will cause you to have a constantly red face, and possibly even spots. But can Rosacea be treated, or will it go away by itself?

What is Rosacea?

It’s actually a huge collection of tiny expanded and broken blood vessels very close to the surface of the skin.  This is what gives the skin its red appearance.  It can also be coupled with pustules and red irritated bumps, and eventually the skin on the nose can become thick and lumpy.

It is more common in fair skins, and tends to start in adults aged between 30-50. Often it gets called Acne Rosacea, because of the white pustules that can come with it, but it’s not the same as teenage Acne.  It also gets mistaken for just having rosy cheeks or being sunburnt.

What causes Rosacea?

Unfortunately no-one really knows what causes Rosacea.  We know that certain factors can trigger it and make it flare up though.  Such as going from hot to cold temperatures, stress, smoking, alcohol and spicy foods. You will start to learn what your trigger points are if you have Rosacea, and then it’s a good idea to start avoiding those things if you want to keep it at bay.

The sun is definitely not your friend if you have Rosacea. Heat makes the condition worse – as your body increased blood flow to the surface of your skin to reduce your body temperature – this will only make the redness look worse.  The more you’re in the sun, the more your vessels are expanding and exacerbating your condition. The sun has a permanent damaging effect on your skin if unprotected, so if you suffer from Rosacea, wear SPF and stay out of the heat!

Can Rosacea be treated?

The answer is yes it can.  Obviously you should try to avoid the triggers which make your skin worse, as this condition does not go away by itself. In fact if left alone, it only gets worse, and can lead to a condition called ‘Rhinophyma’.  If you want to scare yourself – look that up on the internet!

LASER: There are a few treatments for Rosacea.  I have a large amount of experience in treating Rosacea using Lasers. Either IPL or Pulse Dye Lasers work well at reducing the redness in your skin.  They break down the blood vessels near the surface of the skin, and the body removes the waste.  This significantly reduces the redness and the amount of flare ups, and makes your skin a lot more even in colour.

If you opt for Laser or IPL treatments then you can expect to have 3-5 sessions spaced around 4 weeks apart.  Then you will need top up sessions annually.

LED PHOTOTHERAPY: This is another treatment which works well on Rosacea.  Phototherapy is also a light based treatment  – but is less aggressive than Laser.  A hood or mask with specific colours of LED light is placed over your face.  The light penetrates all levels of the skin, and a chain reaction of events occurs.  This helps the cells to repair, heal, and promote healthier stronger skin.  It’s also possible to combine laser treatment with LED phototherapy.

MEDICATION: Finally you can opt for medication – which would involve a course of antibiotics for anything from 6-16 weeks.  Even after the use of medication, most clients will still benefit form light treatments to reduce the broken thread veins.  You would obviously need to go and see your Doctor to discuss this.

Summary

Rosacea can’t be cured, and tends to get worse over time. It’s characterised by a red flushing face, particularly across your cheeks and nose.  It can also be accompanied with white spots, and sore bumpy skin.  It can flare up at times and seem to improve but will come back again if left.

To reduce flare ups, reduce your exposure to the sun, heat, spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, and cover your skin in cold weather.  Also avoid scrubbing the skin with abrasive products, and use gentle skincare.  To treat it, you can opt for Laser, IPL or LED Phototherapy, or medication.

Rosacea is a really debilitating condition which can be so upsetting for you.  Don’t suffer in silence, rest assured help is at hand and treatments do work!

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If you have any more questions about this article; ‘How can Rosacea be treated?’, feel free to email me here: rach@radiantliving.co.uk.

Or you can view Laser and IPL treatments here, including prices.