What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic condition mostly affecting facial skin. It presents as chronic intermittent redness of the skin and inflammation. Rosacea is similar in appearance to acne and affects mostly fair skinned people of Northern European origin. Some know it as the “Celtic curse” because it is so common in people of Irish descent. More than 17 million individuals have some degree of rosacea in the US. Because rosacea imitates intense adult acne it is usually misdiagnosed and mistreated as acne.
What body parts does rosacea affect?
Usually face, nose, cheeks and chin and forehead. But it can appear on the neck, back and chest in some cases.
How do I know I have rosacea?
- Face redness may be persistent and unrelenting with progressive worsening or intermittent (in other words, the redness comes and goes).
- Blushing and flushing
- Pimples, red pustules, hard painful bumps and swellings
- Resembles acne
- Dilated extensive spider veins of the cheeks nose chin and forehead, which tend to proliferate aggressively when provoked by irritants as sun exposure, hot and cold baths, red wine, spicy foods and many more
Frequently Asked Questions
What is rhinophyma?
Rhinophyma is inflammation and redness of the nose with extensive network of dilated capillaries. Eventually the skin over the nose becomes thickened with enlarged unsightly nodules and bumps. Rhinophyma originates as extreme rosacea.
What is the treatment rhinophyma?
Lasers usually work well, most commonly the ablative CO2 carbon dioxide lasers.
What triggers Rosacea?
- Menopause
- Stress
- Excessive vigorous exercise
- Weather and temperature changes (too much sun and extreme temperatures)
- Foods (foods that provoke the release of histamine, such as hot and spicy foods, citrus fruits, vinegar, chocolate, yogurt, sour cream, liver, raisins, figs and soy sauce)
- Beverages (red wine most commonly)
- Drugs (steroids)Medical conditions
- Cosmetics and facial creams (especially those that contain alcohol)
How is it treated at the Liposuction and Cosmetic Surgery Institute?
Because rosacea can progress and worsen with time we usually treat the condition aggressively, yet gently
- Patient education (avoidance of irritants is of utmost important)
- Prescribed cosmoseuticals and supplements
- Intense pulse light (IPL) treatments or vascular lasers to stop the aggressive proliferation of facial spider veins is effective (multiple sessions needed, sometimes lifelong in extreme cases)
- Rhinophyma is aggressively treated with a CO2 laser to eliminate the unsightly bumps and second skin of the nose
- Skin care application of the anti-inflammatory (we suggest our supplement 4Max)
How does IPL help rosacea?
It crushes and eliminates the dilated unsightly blood vessels of the face.
What is the procedure time for IPL treatments?
IPL for spider veins of the face usually takes about 30 minutes.
How soon can results be noticed?
Occasionally a single treatment will show improvement but usually a few treatments will be necessary to tone down the aggressive nature of rosacea.
How many IPL sessions are needed for optimal results?
It depends on the severity of the rosacea, but normally three treatments spaced two weeks apart are recommended.
What is the downtime associated with IPL?
None, IPL or laser treatments are very safe and are non-surgical, hence there is no downtime and the treatment does not necessitate anesthesia
How long will the results last?
This varies with the severity of the rosacea and how many IPL treatments are completed.
What other procedures can be at the same time?
Botox treatment of facial lines and wrinkles.
What is the recommended care after the procedure?
Avoid harsh cleansers. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory oral medications and certain specific topical treatments may be prescribed depending on the case and the patient.
What products I should use to optimize my results?
We recommend our 4 Max™ facial cream and our all-in-one facial sunscreen and moisturizer,
Solaris Day™