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 What is acne rosacea?
Acne rosacea is a disease that affects primarily the skin of the central part of the face, but may affect the entire face, neck and chest. Most people with rosacea experience frequent flushing and inflamed red papules (lesions, bumps, and pimples) that are similar to teenage acne. Telangiectasias (small dilated facial blood vessels) can occur. People with more severe disease will have chronic, permanent swelling and enlargement of the nose, which is referred to as rhinophyma. Rosacea tends to run in families. It can affect any skin type, but people with "fair" complexions develop rosacea more often than people with darker complexions.
Can anything make rosacea worse?
Frequent flushing will make rosacea worse. Flushing can be triggered by many factors such as hard exercise, hot drinks, alcohol, spicy foods, stress, sunlight and extreme heat or cold. You should avoid anything that causes excessive flushing.
How common is rosacea?
Rosacea affects approximately 13 million Americans. Women are more likely to be affected than men, but men often have more severe disease.
How is rosacea treated?
There is no cure for rosacea. Treatment of rosacea is directed towards clearing and preventing the lesions (red bumps) and towards controlling the flushing. Several medications are available with a doctor's prescription. Some are applied topically to the skin and some are taken by mouth. It may take several weeks for the medications to be effective. Frequently, medications will need to be continued indefinitely to prevent recurrent outbreaks. Controlling the flushing associated with rosacea is important in order to prevent serious long-term side effects such as increased redness, enlarged facial blood vessels and chronic swelling of the nose. Laser and intense pulsed light treatments may be effective for those patients who develop telangiectasias (enlarged blood vessels) on the face. (See Laser Surgery and Epifacial™)
How can Cary Dermatology Center help me?
The doctors at Cary Dermatology Center will evaluate your facial condition, explain to you the causes and relevant flare factors, and propose the best ways to treat it. We will prescribe medications to control your rosacea, and advise you regarding ancillary treatments for redness and dilated small blood vessels.
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