Dermatologist’s Advice: Living with Rosacea.

Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness in the face. The skin disease is visible on famous faces you know such as Bill Clinton and Princess Diana. Here are the facts:

Rosacea (rose-AY-sha) is a common skin disease. It often begins with a tendency to blush or flush more easily than other people.

The redness can slowly spread beyond the nose and cheeks to the forehead and chin. Even the ears, chest, and back can be red all the time.

Rosacea can cause more than redness. There are so many signs and symptoms that rosacea has four subtypes:

1. Erythematotelangiectatic: Redness, flushing, visible blood vessels.
2. Papulopustular: Redness, swelling, and acne-like breakouts.
3. Phymatous: Skin thickens and has a bumpy texture.
4. Ocular: Eyes red and irritated, eyelids can be swollen, and person may have what looks like a sty.

Over time the condition can cause permanent redness in the face.

Dermatologist Recommended Daily Tips:

1. Protect your skin from the sun year round. The sun can worsen this condition. This is so common that it’s actually one of the most frequent causes of a rosacea flare-up. Even people with dark skin can have a flare-up after being outdoors in the sun.
2. Moisturize every day. Whether rosacea makes your skin dry or oily, it’s important to moisturize. Moisturizing helps hydrate your skin by trapping water in your skin. This can reduce irritation and make your skin feel more comfortable.
3. Choose rosacea friendly skin care products to cleanse your skin daily.  When you have rosacea, many skin care products and cosmetics can irritate your skin. While gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection can help reduce this sensitivity, you also want to choose your skin care products and makeup carefully.

Although the signs and symptoms of rosacea can develop in many ways, it typically starts any time after age 30 as a facial redness that may resemble a sunburn or inexplicable blush on the cheeks, nose or chin that comes and goes. Unfortunately, it happens again and again, becoming ruddier and lasting longer each time, and eventually visible blood vessels may appear. Without treatment, bumps and pimples often develop, growing more extensive over time, and in severe cases — especially in men — the nose may become swollen and enlarged from excess tissue. In some people, the eyes are also affected, feeling irritated or appearing watery or bloodshot.

While the use of makeup may camouflage the early signs of the disorder, it will have no effect on the underlying disease process – and over-the-counter acne remedies can make it worse.

The only reliable way to address this chronic medical disorder is to see a dermatologist, who can evaluate your condition and work with you to develop a management program that works best for your individual case. The plan may include a combination of prescription medications, skin-care products, trigger avoidance and other options.

Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Vitaly Blatnoy to properly diagnose and treat your symptoms.