Posts Tagged ‘Rosacea Symptoms’

Rosacea Laser Treatment: Side Effects and Risks

November 3rd, 2009

Over the last 20 years, laser treatments for rosacea have come to be regarded as an effective and generally safe method of rosacea treatment. This includes such important things as reducing the visiblity of dilated blood vessels on the face and decreasing the ever present redness and flushing of the face and neck. Most people respond kindly to laser and light treatments, and this continues to propel the success of such treatments.

However, it’s important to also note the side effects and any negative or unpleasant consequences of laser and light treatments for rosacea.

The two most popular treatments are the Pulsed Dye Light (PDL Rosacea) and Intense Pulse Light (IPL Rosacea). There are some side effects associated with each treatment.

For PDL treatments, it is sometimes shocking for people to learn that the treatments intentionally induce bruising. It would be accurate to say that bruising of the skin is, in fact, part of the treatment itself. This is only because it has been shown to improve the results of PDL treatments for rosacea. That being the case, doctors can also run the treatments in such a way as to NOT cause bruising or to minimize bruising (some bruising might be unavoidable). This can be done at the request of the patient. The bruises are highly visible, being that they occur at the areas being treated on the face and neck, and last from one to weeks.

In addition to the bruises caused by PDL, other side effects from Pulsed Dye Laser treatments also include spots of skin that become temporarily darker and discolored and also a “crust” forming at the surface of the skin from treatments. These side effects are temporary.

For IPL treatment, common side effects include bruising, swelling of the skin, facial redness, and skin lightening.

Other side effects from laser and light treatments include:

Pain and discomfort, both after but primarily during the session. Clinics may push cold air onto the skin to alleviate some discomfort during treatment. Depending on the laser being used, it might be possible to use a topical lotion or gel on to the skin to reduce pain. However, often this is not possible due to the fact that such medicating agents tend to reduce the visibility of blood vessels on the skin, thus making it harder to treat the very same blood vessels. Before taking any over the counter drugs to reduce pain, consult with your doctor, and some substances may promote bruising or otherwise interfere with laser treatments.

Some patients experience blisters and burning from laser treatments. This can leave a small scar on the skin in some cases.

An temporary increase or decrease in pigmentation may occur after treatments, causing skin to become darker or lighter.

An itchy rash may occur for some people. These rashes are called “photodermatitis”, which means it’s a light induced rash. These again are temporary.

Another side effect experienced is the loss of hair follicles in the area being treated. Many treatments, such as IPL and PDL, are also used for hair removal, and their use in treating rosacea can also cause hair loss in those specific areas on the skin where the lasers or light is emited.

After treatments, patients need to avoid being in the sun. Many clinics suggest wearing sunscreen for a week after treatments to avoid any sun related complications.

There is no evidence that laser treatments and light treatments for rosacea increase the risk of skin cancer.

As with all medical treatments, there are side effects to take into consideration. Rosacea laser treatments are no different. For most individuals, the side effects are temporary and are worth experiencing for the larger goal of reducing the severity of their rosacea symptoms.

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Rosacea Laser Treatment Options

November 1st, 2009

Over the last few decades, the use of laser treatment and light treatment devices have become an established rosacea treatment method for targeting the onset or intensity of common rosacea symptoms.

This primarily includes the following rosacea symptoms:

  1. the presence of visible, dilated blood vessels on the face
  2. persistent flushing and facial redness (erythema)
  3. an enlargement of the nose (rhinophyma)

There are many different types of laser and light treatments available in regards to treating rosacea, including:

  • PDL (Pulsed Dye Laser)
  • IPL (Intense Pulse Light)
  • KTP Laser (Potassium Titanyl Phosphate Laser)
  • Diode Laser
  • CO2 Laser (Carbon Dioxide Laser)
  • YAG Laser (Erbium: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser)
  • YAG Laser (Nd: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser)

PDL rosacea treatment and IPL rosacea treatment are far more commonly used to treat rosacea over the other laser and light treatment methods listed above. However, it should be noted that specifically when it comes to treating rhinophyma, the CO2 and nD: YAG laser are often used.

Here are some important points to note in regards to laser treatments for rosacea.

  • Laser treatments are not a rosacea cure and not every person is going to respond the same way to the same treatments. This means that some individuals will not see the results they were looking for using rosacea laser and light treatments. Having realistic results going into treatments is important.
  • It is good to know though that the majority of persons who receive treatments find them to be effective at reducing a variety of rosacea symptoms.
  • Treatments are not a one-time experience. It’s common to book 3-6 appointments for maximum results. It’s also common for people to use laser treatments at different times over the years. As with all aspects of rosacea treatment, it’s a life time affair, and laser treatments can be incorporated into this over the years.
  • Rosacea laser treatments are fairly expensive, and patients should expect to spend $1,000-$5,000 for their sessions. Insurance may or may not cover these – more often than not, the payment comes from the patient. It’s entirely common to take out a medical loan or work out a payment plan with the laser clinic in order to afford these costly treatments.
  • Laser and light treatments cause considerable pain, but rarely is this going to result in a person turning away the treatments. The pain is often compared to a stinging or pinching sensation. To reduce discomfort, clinics may blow cold air onto the skin during the sessions. Certain over the counter medications can interfere with the effectiveness of treatments, so before taking anything, consult with your doctor.

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Acne Rosacea?

October 31st, 2009

The term “acne rosacea” is often used to describe… well, what IS it used to describe?

And therein lies the problem with the term “acne rosacea”! In and of itself, this description is misleading. How so? Because the skin condition known as acne and a skin condition known diagnosed as rosacea are TWO separate things, two separate skin problems, with different causes and symptoms.

However, it is easy to see how the two are grouped together and misconstrued as the same thing. The papules and pustules – which are two fancy words meaning red bumps and pus filled red bumps, respectively – found on the surface of the face of individuals with the form of rosacea known as  “Papulopustular Rosacea“  is commonly misconstrued as plain old acne. This is an easy mistake for someono untrained to make – such as the person with the red bumps looking in the mirror at themselves0 , especially since not only are there red bumps to be found that look like pimples, but some of them even countain pus, much like the pimples and zits found on someone with acne.

At the same time, many medications out there are used by people with rosacea and by people with acne to target both the symptoms of both. This is true not only of over the counter skin cleansing and skin care medications, but also even prescription antibiotics. The first line of defense doctors tend to use when beginning rosacea treatment for a new patient is the use of prescription antibiotics. The ones used are the same ones commonly used to treat acne as well!

Additionally, many good skin care practices translate well for someone with acne and with someone who has rosacea, the papulopustular version or otherwise. This means things such as using non-abrasive skin cleansers, skin care products without alcohol, and so on.

The fact is that so many things cross reference between both acne and roseacea: the visibility of bumps and redness on the skin, pus filled bumps, facial redness, the use of shared prescription antibiotic treatments, and the use of shared over the counter medicines, as well as skin care practices. Taken all together, this creates the illusion of some kind of joint condition that can be referred to “acne rosacea.”

The truth is though, no matter how much this term is used, “acne rosacea” is NOT a type of rosacea, nor is it a type of acne. It’s a term that incorrectly points to the similarities between the two, when in fact, they are two separate skin conditions.

If an individual is unsure if what they believe to be acne is in fact, a type of rosacea, he or she should see a doctor as soon as possible to get a proper diagnosis and begin receiving treatments for their skin.

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Facial Redness vs Rosacea

October 29th, 2009

Doctors note that one of the classic conditions always associated with the skin condition known as rosacea is that of persistent facial redness. Facial redness is common for all types and subsets of rosacea, from ocular rosacea to papulopustular posacea and so on.

In this situation, the facial redness experienced can be specifically classified as erythema. According to wikipedia, the term erythema is defined as:

“…redness of the skin, which can be caused by several things, including capillary congestion.”

That being said, individuals sometimes regard the condition of erythema as simple a symptom of rosacea, when in fact, it is a skin problem that exists outside of just the rosacea realm.

However, as it the case with rosacea, the cause of erythema is often shrouded in mystery. In up to half the cases, the cause remains unknown. However, unlike rosacea, there are some causes that have been identified. Erythema in 50% or more of cases is idenfitied as caused by such diverse things as allergies, exercising, sunburn, plucking or waxing body hair, massage, infection, and, cruelly, even by some of the medications used to treat acne!

Individuals with rosacea are often rightly described as having erythema due to the persistent presence of redness on the face and neck. The type of rosacea primarily identified with facial redness over other symptoms (such as bumps or eye irritation) is known as Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea. Along with the persistent facial redness, an individual with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea may experience symptoms such as stinging and burning sensations in the face along with a general swelling of the face, technically known as “facial edema”.

Individuals with rosacea who experience persistent facial redness should only take medications prescribed or recommended by their doctor to treat this condition. It is not necessarily a good idea to take over the counter medicines marketed towards treating the general condition of “facial redness” as some of these may not be appropriate for individuals diagnosed with rosacea. It is unfortunate that some medications can act as rosacea triggers, worsening the condition of the problem that they are trying to treat. Doctors and dermatologists should offer guidance in this respect for both individuals with facial redness and individuals with facial redness that is part of their rosacea diagnosis.

For more information on the type of rosacea most strongly associated with strong facial redness/erythema (Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea), and all other identified types of rosacea, you can do at our post here:  Types of Rosacea.

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Rosacea Symptoms

October 28th, 2009

Rosacea symptoms vary but all typically relate to facial redness and a discomfort of the skin on the face and neck. While there are 4 identified types of rosacea, as well as a handful of variant rosacea subsets, the symptoms experienced by people diagnosed with one type or another often cross over between one another.

Below you will find a a list of eight of the most common symptoms that are associated with rosacea. This includes the most commonly associated symptoms of rosacea, but beware that it is not all inclusive, as individuals may experience additional related symptoms of rosacea not included here.

1. Facial Flushing
2. Facial Redness (Erythema)
3. Visible Blood Vessels
4. Increased Facial sensitivity
5. Papules and Pustules (red bumps and rep bumps with pus, respectively)
6. Burning and Itchy Sensations on the Face and Neck
7. Dryness and Itchiness in the Eyes and Eyelies
8. Rhinophyma (An enflammed and enlarged nose, most common in males)

Those diagnosed with rosacea typically will not experience all these smyptoms, and the amount and degree to which the symptoms are experience vary wildly. (Out of the approximately 40 million people worldwide who suffer from rosacea, the majority of these individuals only suffer from mild rosacea symptoms.) Additionally, you will find that the 4 different types of rosacea that have been identified each map to specific symptoms more so than others. (See Types of Rosacea.)

Facial flushing and facial redness (erythema) tends to be the most commonly associated symptoms – and indicators -  of rosacea. Those experiencing nearly any of the other symptoms 3-8 typically suffer from facial flushing and redness as a result of the said symptom, such as the visibility of blood vessels on the face, which increases the appearance of facial redness.

Individuals experiencing the symptoms above would be well advised to see a doctor and have a diagnosis made on their condition in order to begin rosacea treatment. It is important to not confuse acne and rosacea with the papules and pustules ( symptom number 5 above), leaving rosacea both undiagnosed and improperly treated.

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