Men tend to be more reluctant to go to a doctor than women, generally speaking. For rosacea, this makes for an interesting twist because by and large women are effect in far, far greater numbers than men. However, most people do not even know what rosacea is yet I bet they can recall a man they’ve seen with it, even if they didn’t know it was rosacea! The stereotype of the old cranky man with a red, bulb-like nose is actually related to the real life skin condition known as Rhinophyma Rosacea. It’s more common in men than in women, and when left untreated, it can lead to tissue buildup around the nose, accompanied with a red appearance, thus creating the stereotype of the old man with a bulb nose.

Is this what happens without rosacea treatment? Yes, absolutely, this is what can happen if treatment is not done. Now the case of a person with a grossly shaped nose caused by rosacea is rare, and occurs when treatment has been delayed or non existent for many years, if not the lifetime of the person.

But what about others with rosacea?

The truth is that while medical professionals estimate something in the range of 40 million people worldwide have rosacea, the majority of those people in the eye popping number have only a mild to moderate form of rosacea. Many of them are never even officially diagnosed with rosacea! This means they probably believe they have common acne or just, for whatever reason, tend to flush easily. For very mild cases of rosacea, not having treatment means they’ll simply have to deal with the mild symptoms they have.

For those with moderate to severe rosacea, the lack of treatment has more dire consequences. For one it means a lifetime of irritation and discomfort on the face and neck. This obviously is not an ideal situation. Over time, it can lead to scar tissue development on the skin, leading to facial disfigurement. This second part often scares those who might be tempted to not bother with treatment, and yet it’s hard to say what’s worse. Decades of facial burning and itching, not to mention constant redness, or scar tissue problems on the face? Either one is something no individual should experience.

For this reason, it’s very important to seek a proper diagnosis from a doctor on any skin problem that bears resemblance to rosacea. If diagnosed, the next logical step is the addition of antibiotics and prescription as well as  OTC rosacea treatment medications designed to reduce the symptoms.

The bad news is that without treatment, the consequences are real and while not deadly, are certainly not pleasant. The good news is that with proper treatment, most people with rosacea find a middle ground that keeps their symptoms at bay and then from there, life goes on with rosacea treatment – and rosacea! – receding to the background.

This is the age range in which symptoms begin to appear for most people. How the skin condition develops is not known, but it is not contagious or infectious. It’s speculated that its origins are genetically related but this has not been proven, and the official word is that rosacea has an unknown cause.

In any case, one symptoms begin to appear is when a proper diagnosis and treatment should begin. Symptoms typically come on as a redness of the face – known as erythema, along with red bumps known as papules and pastules (and thus the mistaken correlation to acne is made.)

It’s estimated that 1 of 5 diagnosis made by dermatalogists is a diagnosis for rosacea. It is because of these high numbers thats nearly any dermatologist you work with is going to be quite familiar with rosacea and the proper treatments for this skin problem.

The first rosacea treatments prescribed to a new patient are typically two-fold with antibiotics. This includes a topical antibiotic, such as a Metronidazole. The term “topical” means that the substance is applied to the surface of this skin. In this case, it means applying an OTC acne product or gel such as Metronidazole to the skin for relief. Secondly, oral tetracycline antibiotics are prescribed to the patient as well – interestingly, the same ones of which are also prescribed for acne treatment, too. These are swallowed in the form of a pill. Oral tetracycline antibiotics are actually used to target a variety of health conditions, and they are usually successful at reducing the severity of symptoms for rosacea as well. These symptoms include redness, irritation, inflammation, and the presence of papules and pastules, on and around the face and neck.

If the initial rosacea treatment in the form of antibiotics doesn’t meet the desired results i.e a reduction in symptoms and relief for the patient – doctors and dermatologists have a number of other medication that can be used. There is also the question of avoiding rosacea triggers so as to minimize outbreaks or the severity of outbreaks.

Treatment for rosacea is not an overnight event. It’s actually more a lifelong process between the doctor and the patient, along with the lifestyle of the patient and how this effects the rosacea condition. The good news is that the earlier treatment begins, the better off the patient is at getting rosacea treatment that meet their needs and keeps their conditions under minimized and under control.

One of out every five diagnosis made by dermatologists is for rosacea, making it a very common skin disorder. However, despite being a widespread problem, it is uncommon for people to be aware of this disease, or have knowledge of how to recognize its symptoms and how to properly treat it.

What are the symptoms of Rosacea?

A reddening of the skin, also known as erythema, is the primary symptom of the skin disorder.

Click the link below for more information:

Rosacea Symptons

What causes Rosacea? Who is mostly effected by it?

Although it is believed that nearly 50 million people have rosacea, there is no single cause that researchers are aware of at this time that causes this skin disease.

Current medical theory states that, although not the only or main cause, many people are genetically predisposed to getting rosacea. This is noted by evidence that individuals suffering from rosacea tend to find it widespread in the family tree.

Other interesting data shows that it mainly effects white people (note though that all skin types are susceptible) who descended from the North and West of Europe. While it effects both men and women, it is nearly three times as common in women. Ironically, men tend to suffer more severe damage from rosacea, possibly simply (and only) due to a delay in seeking skin treatment, as compared to women.

People of all ages, including teenagers, can develop it but women ages 30-50 are mostly effected.

Other theories on the causes of rosacea state that it is a blood vessel disorder (causing the blood vessels to swell, which in turn causes a reddening of the skin) or a problem with the gland openings of the skin being clogged with skin mites called Demodex Folliculorum.

Contributing or related factors include digestive disorders, a deficient of Vitamin B, migraine headaches, other skin disorders, and even eye disorders.

Rosacea Treatment

There is no straight cure for Rosacea; treatment is typically a lifelong affair, and it can take 1-2 years of treatment for the condition to come under control. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments available.

What prescription treatments for Rosacea are available?

There are now a number of prescription medications prescribed to treat Rosacea. It is common for medicine to be prescribed for a variety of disorders i.e. some of these medications are typically prescribed for acne problems alone (Noritate, BenzaClin, Psorcon, etc).

Please click on the link below to learn more about prescription treatments for rosacea:

Rosacea Prescription Treatments

What about laser treatments for Rosacea?

Laser treatment is now an option for reducing or eliminating the redness of the skin caused by Rosacea.

Click on the link below to learn more:

Rosacea Laser Treatment

What sort of natural treatments are there for Rosacea?

There are “natural” treatments for Rosacea, although they might not have the scientific evidence or testing available to back them up.

Click on the link below for more information:

Natural Treatments for Rosacea (coming soon)

The two most popular laser treatment options are known as:

• Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL)
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

This type of procedure is used to treat the persistent redness and dilated blood vessels of the skin, as well as the thickening of the nose and cheeks, that can manifest as part of Rosacea

How much do they cost? How many do I need?

For laser and IPL laser treatment, sessions runs from $300 to $600 apiece.

Effective laser therapy often takes up to 3 treatment sessions, which are spread out apart 6 to 8 weeks.

IPL treatment usually requires an additional 1-2 sessions but are spaced apart every 3 weeks.

It is often necessary to engage in lifelong follow-up treatments as well in order to keep flareups down.

How do these lasers work, exactly?

The laser will emit tiny wavelengths of light which target the blood vessels right below the skin. The heat from this energy is collected in the vessels, and disintegrates them. This is done because swelling of the blood vessels is partially what creates the redness of the face.

Lasers are also used to stop the building up of extra tissue that can create a largeness in the nose and checks.

One thing to note is that these laser technologies will usually cause a temporary bruising of the skin on the face. There are new technologies which do not cause the bruising, however they do not work as well as the others. The bruises last 1 to 2 weeks and then fade away.

Will they cure my Rosacea?

There is unfortunately no straight cure, only treatments, for Rosacea. Virtually all individuals who get Pulse Dye Laser or Intense Pulse Light treatment for Rosacea see some form of improvement. How much depends on many things – your skin type, how advanced Rosacea is, if you’ve been treating it beforehand, and of course, the skill and experience of the doctor performing the laser work!

Here are some of the common signs and symptoms of Rosacea.

• individual has a red discoloration (“flushing”) of the skin on the cheeks, chin, forehead, nose, and around the mouth
• there are persistent bumps or pimples on the skin, often mistaken for simple acne
• patients eyes are often watery, irritated, bloodshot. there might be a negative reaction to sunlight
• the blood vessels have become swollen on the patients face and are now visible on the surface of the skin
• there is a burning and stinging sensations on the patients face (also simply called inflammation)

Note:
A reddening of the skin, is a medical condition known as erythema. It is said to be caused by capillary congestion, but in up to 50% of cases there is no known reason for the cause.
The persistent bumps or “pimples” are more properly known as papules and pastules, respectively. These are often mistaken for acne but papules and pastules are not simply pimples.

Please note that any one of these signs above, individually, could be a symptom that Rosacea is developing and should be treated as such by consulting with a doctor.

As time goes on, these symptons can create other symptoms, such as a convergence of bumps on the skin which will make it appear larger and swollen, and the same for the cheeks. (This primarily effects men and not women.) This can create that “bulb” nose look occasionally seen on elderly men.