Rosacea is a facial skin condition characterized by red and irritated facial skin.No credible cause has been found, but there are some suspected causes including, problems with blood vessels, sun damage to connective tissue, an inflammatory response or a possible reaction to medication. Unfortunately, a cure has not been found either. Avoiding possible triggers and using various treatments have been found to be somewhat effective in alleviating the symptoms.The symptoms sometimes improve and go away on their own, but come back later. Following are some treatments that seem to help with the symptoms exhibited by some patients.
Medical Treatments
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, prescription drugs, surgery or laser treatments may be recommended.
1. Lotions, creams and gels that contain azelaic acid or the antibiotic, metronidazole have been quite effective in treating rosacea.
2. There is evidence that doxycycline, an antibiotic in the tetracycline family, can help to lessen the facial redness.
3. Drugs that are taken internally are being studied. They do have side effects like diarrhea, nausea and sensitivity to light. The effectiveness of these drugs has not yet been determined.
4. If the redness and swelling of the nose becomes extreme, surgery is an option. In addition, laser treatments can often reduce the redness.
Holistic Treatments
If you suffer from the milder forms of rosacea like frequent flushing, there are some natural treatments you can try.
1. Avoid known triggers like excess sun exposure, wind, heat, alcohol, stress and spicy foods. These triggers can cause blood vessels to enlarge, bringing about a blush that remains for an uncertain period of time.
2. Wash your face very gently. Cleanse once or twice a day. Stay away from products with irritants such as alcohol, isopropyl, glycolic acid, palmitale, propylene, glycol, menthol, and peppermint and eucalyptus oils.
3. Always use your fingertips to wash, rather than a washcloth or sponge. Avoid rubbing your face, which can irritate the skin.
4. Try an exfoliate product with beta-hydroxy acids, which can help tone down the skin roughness.
5. The majority of rosacea patients have dry skin. Use a moisturizer to help avoid itching, stinging and flare-ups.
6. There a number of OTC products which can be quite effective in reducing the redness of the facial skin? If you use cosmetic products, check with a doctor to make sure that the ingredients in the product you use to cover skin redness won’t make the condition worse.
7. Many rosacea patients experience low self-esteem and embarrassment about their obvious symptoms. Coping emotionally with people, who stare at them or say unkind words about them, can be devastating. Sharing information about your condition can help educate the public in understanding rosacea.
The cause and cure for rosacea are being studied. Until the cause and cure are discovered, there are medical and holistic treatments that can alleviate some of the symptoms. For many sufferers there is an emotional impact resulting from the way their facial skin looks. On the positive side the condition sometimes goes into remission for a period of time.