Newsletter

July 2010

Conquering Rosacea

Does your face suddenly turn red after being in the sun, or consuming a glass of wine or spicy food? You could be among the one in 20 New Zealanders who have rosacea.

Rosacea is a red facial rash that commonly affects 30 to 60-year-olds, especially those of Celtic origin with fair skin and blue eyes.

It is the cause of what’s referred to as ‘a drinker’s nose’, the thickened and irregular appearance of the nose of some rosacea sufferers. Rosacea can also affect the eyes and cause blepharitis, an irritation of the eyelids.

In some cases, rosacea can resemble acne, but without blackheads or blocked pores.

What prompts rosacea

The cause of rosacea is not known, but we do know there is inflammation in the skin that causes dilated blood vessels and red lumps. One theory is that a skin mite called demodex is the cause.

There has also been a controversial association with helicobacter pylori, which is often the cause of stomach ulcers and even stomach cancer. Apparently when this stomach bug is eradicated, the rash disappears.

This is not thoroughly proven in the scientific literature; however, low stomach acid and B vitamin deficiency are associated with rosacea. Because low stomach acid is often associated with overgrowth of helicobacter pylori, scientists are currently considering a possible association.

Rosacea can range from mild redness to extreme disfiguration. Therefore, it needs to be diagnosed and treated early. If it is allowed to develop into a chronic and severe condition it can cause scar tissue to form.

Treating it with lifestyle changes

The main treatment in the first instance is to avoid all the classic triggers: alcohol, spicy foods, strong emotion and sunshine - actually, anything hot!

Keep a sunblock on the skin. Never put a steroid cream on it, because it will get worse. Oily skincare tends to irritate this condition, so use sunblocks or makeups that are water-based.

Omega 3 fish oils may help a little by reducing inflammation caused by processed foods. Oral antibiotics can be taken to reduce inflammation, but you are usually then stuck with them for life.

We think it’s better to look at correcting any nutritional deficiencies and any deficiency of gastric acid that may be behind the problem. After all, rosacea is a condition in which the blood vessels in the skin have become inflamed.

Medical options for rosacea

There are also some special medical creams that can be prescribed. We have Tretinoin cream and other specialist creams here that can help.

Laser and light treatments can be helpful in reducing the problem. Skinfresh Clinic has a lovely, comfortable laser called Laser Genesis that is not painful and will, in most cases of rosacea, cure the problem in a few treatments. If you wish to get the redness under control very quickly, we have a combination of laser treatments that will help. We also have a vascular laser treatment that will get the veins that other machines cannot.

Beware of other clinics that claim to fully treat rosacea with their IPL machine – it will help, but does not penetrate deeply enough to get the deeper redness, nor does it get some of the veins.

It is important to get a firm diagnosis and to treat this condition early to prevent it from becoming chronic and causing scarring. At Skinfresh Clinic, we are able to treat both the inside and the outside to get the best and longest-lasting results.

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