Rosacea (pronounced
rose-ay-shah) is a disease affecting the skin of the face -- mostly
where people flush. Rosacea usually starts with redness on the cheeks and can
slowly worsen to include one or more additional symptoms and parts of the face,
including the eyes.
Because changes are gradual, it may be hard to recognize rosacea in its early stages. Unfortunately, many people mistake rosacea for a sunburn, a complexion change, or acne and do not see a doctor.
Rosacea can't be cured, but it can be controlled.
Women get rosacea a little more often than men, but men are more likely to develop rhinophyma.
The image of one famous sufferer, W. C. Fields, helped to mistakenly link rosacea with alcoholism. Although drinking alcohol can make rosacea worse, even people who never drink alcohol can develop rosacea.
In most people, the first sign of rosacea is rosy cheeks; the face gets red in patches and stays red -- eventually redness doesn't go away at all.
Rosacea is a chronic condition. In most people symptoms come and go in cycles. These flare-ups are common. Although the condition may improve (go into remission) for a while without treatment, it is often followed by a worsening of symptoms (redness, pimples, red lines or nasal bumps) that progresses over time.
There are many theories but none have been proven. Researchers now believe that there is some link between rosacea and how often (and how strongly) people flush or blush.
See your dermatologist. It is easy to mistake skin disorders and doctors know best how to identify and treat rosacea. Non-prescription acne medications may irritate dry, sensitive skin. These products may have ingredients that are not appropriate for treating rosacea.
Definitely yes. Treatment can lessen or get rid of symptoms. Most dermatologists think that early treatment can keep rosacea from getting worse -- even prevent blood vessels from enlarging or rhinophyma from developing.
Left: with treatment; Right: without treatment
Several medications are available by doctor's prescription. They control redness and reduce the number of papules and pustules. Some are applied to the skin (topically) and others are taken by mouth (orally) -- different types can be used in combination. In most cases, it may take several weeks to see results -- don't worry. Once symptoms have cleared, patients may need to continue taking medication to keep rosacea under control.
Controlling the causes of flushing and blushing can help prevent rosacea from getting worse and blood vessels from getting larger. But once red lines appear, they can only be covered up by makeup or removed by a surgical method. Surgery can also be used to correct a nose enlarged by rhinophyma.
Without regular treatment, redness and pimples can return. Studies of patients who stopped treatment after their symptoms were successfully cleared show that rosacea came back in many of the patients within a week to 6 months.
Not yet. But simple treatments can control rosacea, improve the skin's look, and maybe even stop or reverse progress of the disease. Getting medical help early and following the treatment program carefully are the keys.
Experts say you should avoid anything that causes flushing. But what bothers one person may not cause a problem in another. You will need to find out what things affect you and decide if you want to change your habits to avoid them. Just remember -- flushing may affect your success in controlling rosacea. Talk to your doctor about how you can learn to identify -- and deal with -- your own flushing triggers.
In general, it helps to choose facial products that will not clog pores; they will have the word "noncomedogenic" (non-coh-mee-dough-jen-ic) on the package. Avoid products that contain alcohol (check hair spray and astringent labels), acetone or oil.