What is rosacea?
Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that most often affects your face but may also appear on your chest and back. Many patients notice that they frequently blush and their blushing turns into a persistent redness in the center of their face, which is a key sign of rosacea.
In addition to skin redness, you’ll experience other symptoms depending on the type of rosacea.
Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea
This type of rosacea causes flushing, redness, and visible blood vessels on your cheeks and nose.
Papulopustular rosacea
If you have papulopustular rosacea, you’ll have facial redness, swelling, and acne-like pimples.
Phymatous rosacea
The main symptom of this type of rosacea is thickened skin that has a bumpy texture. Phymatous rosacea often affects the nose, chin, forehead, and ears.
Ocular rosacea
Some patients develop rosacea that affects their eyes. They may experience eye redness, burning, swollen eyelids, and sensitivity to light.
What triggers rosacea?
Most people with rosacea cycle through periods of remission alternating with flare-ups that last for weeks to months. Flare-ups are typically triggered by factors such as:
- Sunlight
- Wind
- Spicy foods
- Alcohol
- Hot drinks
- Stress
- Strenuous exercise
- Hot and cold temperatures
- Cosmetics and skin care products
You may have some of the triggers on this list or you may discover that your rosacea flares up in response to different factors.
How is rosacea treated?
Northstar Dermatology helps you identify your triggers and come up with a plan to avoid them. Eliminating your triggers to reduce your flare-ups is important because every time you have a new rosacea attack, your symptoms tend to last longer.
Northstar Dermatology creates a treatment plan that may include one or more of the following:
Sun protection
People with rosacea are often highly sensitive to sunlight. Exposure to the sun is also one of the most common triggers. You can prevent rosacea flare-ups by using sunscreen and wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
Gentle skin care
Many skin care products trigger rosacea. Even scrubbing your skin too vigorously can cause problems. Northstar Dermatology can recommend gentle products and a skin care routine that soothes your rosacea.
Medications
Northstar Dermatology may prescribe topical medications to relieve redness or oral drugs such as antibiotics or acne medications.
Laser therapy
Advanced lasers can help eliminate visible blood vessels, reduce facial redness, and remove thickened skin.
If you have questions about skin redness or acne-like breakouts that don’t improve, call Northstar Dermatology or book an appointment online today.
