In excess of 16 million people in the U.S. suffer from rosacea, a common skin condition with no cure. The National Rosacea Society also states that recent polls suggest nearly 8 out of 10 people have no idea what rosacea looks like or what to do if they have it.
Starting with the presentation of rosacea, the actual symptoms depend on the type of rosacea. Symptoms can be as mild as just a permanent blush on the skin, or as great has having thickened skin that leads to excess tissue growing on the nose. Most people do not see the symptoms developing until they reach their 30s.
The Subtypes of Rosacea
There are four subtypes of rosacea. The first, erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, makes your skin look red and sunburned. Blood vessels may or may not appear in conjunction with the redness. Next is papulopustular rosacea. This subtype looks like acne and you develop bumps and pimples on the reddened skin.
Phymatous rosacea (rhinophyma) is the form of rosacea that leads to thickened skin on the nose. Many people recognize this form because the late comedian W.C. Fields had it. The final subtype is ocular rosacea. This subtype causes the eyes to be bloodshot and watery and irritations like styes may appear.
Causes of Rosacea
One of the trickiest things about rosacea is that there is no known cause. There is a belief that your heritage and genetics play a role in the skin condition. Many cases of rosacea appear in people of European descent, especially people with pale skin. The National Rosacea Society surveyed a number of rosacea patients and found that 33 percent had a parent of Irish descent, and 26 percent had a parent of English descent.
There is also a link between Demodex mites and rosacea. A bacteria commonly found on the mites seems to trigger an inflammatory immune response.
Popular Treatments
Many dermatologists prescribe topical or oral medications to patients seeking relief from rosacea. This is the most common line of treatment, but it doesn’t always offer the improvements that patients desire. In addition, some medications have side effects that are not desirable, or patients don’t want to prolong use of medications like antibiotics.
Changing your lifestyle is also advised. Switching to mild facial products, mineral cosmetics, and perfume-free facial creams is ideal. Certain foods and beverages, such as spicy foods and alcohol, are also triggers that people with rosacea need to avoid.
Pulse Dye Laser Treatments
The redness within the skin in rosacea patients is ideal for the Pulse Dye Laser as it targets this redness and destroys the blood vessels that cause the redness. The National Institutes of Health released the results of a study on rosacea and Pulse Dye Laser and found that out of 22 patients, all showed improvement after just three treatments.
The facial plastic surgeon can use the Pulse Dye Laser at a low or high setting. At a higher setting, you may end up with some bruising and discoloration for up to 10 days. Improvements appear within 30 days, and the results last for up to 18 months. We offer packages for the Pulse Dye Laser. Often patients would require more than one treatment to help keep rosacea under control. We also recommend skin care products that are formulated to benefit patients with Rosacea. Some of the more common ones are Retin-A, sunblock (Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46) and other products containing green tea and caffeine.
Resurfacing Techniques
For people with rhinophyma, the use of a CO2 laser for skin resurfacing is used to reduce patches of thick skin. The laser travels over the thick skin, removing the dead layers, and tightening the skin. The skin affected by the CO2 laser falls off, leaving the new skin in its place and collagen production increases. Following this resurfacing technique, it is important to keep the skin moist while the treated area heals. It takes about a week for the skin to heal.
Can you identify the symptoms of rosacea? View the National Rosacea Society’s Faces of Rosacea to see what the skin condition looks like. If you believe you have rosacea, talk to Dr. Edwin Williams of the Williams Center Plastic Surgery Specialists to discuss long-term treatments. The New York facial plastic surgeon is board certified in both facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and otolaryngology. Call 800-742-2797 to schedule a consultation in either the Albany of Manhattan office.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.