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Rosacea Triggers

November 12th, 2009

The term “rosacea triggers” describes anything that leads to the emergence of or to an increase of the symptoms of rosacea. This open definition takes in the wide variety of unique conditions that people experience that cause their rosacea symptoms to flare up.

While there is a large variety of rosacea triggers, it’s clear to see there is a common theme in many of the triggers: heat. This comes in many different forms, such as:

Sun Exposure. Heat from the sun is a huge trigger for many people, and obviously something that is hard to manage when you live in the real world. For this reason, it’s often suggested to wear sunscreen lotion (SP30+) along with a hat when outdoors.

Spicy Foods. This is a tough one, as the taste for spicy food does not concede to the logic that it acts as a rosacea trigger!

Hot Drinks. Hot drinks such as coffee or hot tea are common triggers.

Hot Water. Taking a shower with water that’s too hot is another common trigger. Additionally, and in the same aspect, heated pools and hot tubs are also included in this category.

Intense Exercise. This trigger is an interesting one. At first glance it’s puzzling but it makes sense. Performing intense cardiovascular exercise or lifting weights can heat up the body. This heat in turn then acts as a trigger.

Stress. Stress is an underrated rosacea trigger. It’s one of the most common triggers yet the hardest to treat, as it’s not simply a case of avoiding this or that, but rather, changing how a person interacts with their emotions and their environment. Second to sun exposure, this is the most common rosacea trigger.

Wind and Cold Weather. At the other side of sun exposure, being exposed to windy conditions or, separate from this or in combination to it, cold weather, functions as a trigger.

Alcoholic Beverages. Along with spicy foods, this is another tough one, as alcohol is another common trigger.

Misc Triggers: Many more than what’s above, including diverse things such as vegetables, dairy products, marinated meats, cosmetics, skin care products, medication, and even sex, which perhaps acts as a trigger in the same was exercise can act as a trigger.

Unmasking ones own triggers is a crucial part of taking responsibility over ones skin condition and overall health if you have rosacea. Many dermatologists recommend a simple method of having a notepad or journal handy for jotting down some basic details of when you have a rosacea flareup, noting what you were doing, describing the symptoms experience, a description of their intensity, and any relevant environmental conditions or situation details that may act to bring on your symptoms. Over time, and in combination with what is already known about rosacea triggers in general, this information can help detect simple patterns that reveal an individuals own rosacea triggers.

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Ocular Rosacea

November 4th, 2009

Ocular rosacea is one of the most common forms of rosacea. The term ocular relates to the eye, and so the primary symptoms of ocular rosacea do indeed all focus around the eyes of the person.

This is in contrast to the other manifestations of rosacea. For example, Papulopustular Rosacea relates to the presence of acne-like bumps, Phymatous Rosacea deals with the enlargement of the nose, and Erythema Rosacea (technically called Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea) points to the persistent redness as the main symptom of rosacea, whereas a person with ocular rosacea has to deal with eye-related symptoms.

The most common symptoms include persistent eye irritation, a feeling of dryness in the eyes, general soreness in the eyes, and redness in the eye and on the skin around the eye. Persons with ocular rosacea may also experience the false sensation that there is an object present in the eye, such as an eyelash.

Treatments for ocular rosacea center around alleviating the pain and discomfort felt in the eyes, and as such, include the following:

  • treating the eyes with warm compresses
  • using artifical tears to keep the eyes hydrated and from drying out
  • using eyedrops to keep the eyes hydrated and from drying out
  • washing the eye and areas around the eyes with water

In addition to these treatments above, which are specific to ocular rosacea, medical treatments such as antibiotics that are used across the board to treat the different types of rosacea (and acne as well), along with over the counter rosacea skin care products may be used to alleviate these symptoms. It’s also important for persons with ocular rosacea to have an awareness over what causes their symptoms to increase or manifest (see Rosacea Triggers) and to accordingly avoid such things as much as its reasonably possible to do so.

In addition to the symptoms described above, persons with ocular rosacea typically experience some level of overall facial redness and discomfort that virtually all persons with rosacea have, no matter what subtype of rosacea has been identified.

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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 PDL Laser Treatment

November 2nd, 2009

Laser treatments for rosacea are a very popular and well known treatment method. This is true simply for one, very good, solid reason: studies have shown laser and light treatments to be an effective measure in reducing the severity of various common rosacea symptoms.

While there are different types of treatments, including a non-laser light source known as IPL, one of the most popular laser treatments for rosacea is called PDL.

PDL stands for Pulsed Dye Light. Pulsed Dye Light treatments have been used since the 1980′s to target a variety of skin conditions and ailments, including rosacea, but also other things such as wrinkles, scars, and hair removal.

While the Pulsed Dye Laser treatments can effect more than just these symptoms, PDL treatments primarily target two things. First, the visibility or blood vessels on the face and secondly, it targets the general flushing condition so common for those with rosacea.

For anyone who is considering PDL laser treatments, it’s important to note that the treatments intentionally induce bruising on the skin. It’s been determined that bruising actually improves the effectiveness of PDL treatments for rosacea! These bruises are obviously going to be in a very visible spot – the face and neck of the person receiving treatments – and last from a week to two weeks.

However, it is possible to request and receive PDL laser treatments that do not induce bruising. The resulting treatments though are not as effective than they would be with bruising.

It’s important to note a couple things here in regards to PDL laser treatments:

  • It’s standard to receive multiple treatments, typically 3-6 treatments. These treatments cannot be done in succession and must be spaced apart appropriately, giving the body time to react to the treatments before the next session begins.
  • The laser treatments themselves do cause a bit of pain in the rosacea patients receiving them. This is true for all laser and light treatments, and PDL is no expection. One source describes the pain like that of being hit with a rubber band. Pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen should not be taken because these specific drugs can lead to additional bruising. However, consult with your doctor before doing so, but generally, it’s considered safe to take certain other over the counter medicines, such as tylenol. During treatments, some clinics blow cold air onto the surface of the skin to reduce discomfort caused by PDL. Also note that while there are topical gels that can be applied to the skin to reduce sensitivity, these are usually avoided because they often shrink the blood vessels temporarily, thus making it harder for PDL treatments to target those very same blood vessels.
  • PDL treatments are expensive, and usually run into the thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, insurance companies might not offer coverage or reimbursements for such specialized treatments.
  • PDL is not a cure for rosacea. While effective in the majority of people treated, not everyone responds to rosacea laser treatments in the same way. It does not work for everyone. Patients need to understand what’s considered realistic results before going in for treatments.

If you’d like to have PDL treatments to target the flushing and blood vessels brought on by rosacea, consult with your dermatology doctor today and see what can be done to help you with PDL rosacea treatments.

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Rosacea IPL Laser Treatments

November 1st, 2009

For more than a decade now, laser and light treatments have been used as an effective measure to reduce the symptoms of rosacea.

One of the more popular treatments is known as IPL.

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It is also known by a other names, such as Photoderm, Fotoderm, and Photofacial.

Technically speaking, IPL Is not a laser treatments. In the case of a laser, one wavelength of light is emitted. For IPL, a spetrum of non-laser light sources is used. But for the sake of simplicity, all light based treatments tend to be discussed under the umbrella term of “laser treatments”, including IPL.

Here are some relevant facts and tidbits in regards to IPL rosacea laser treatment:

  • As mentioned, IPL emits not a single wavelength but instead emits light in a spectrum. In a treatment session, a doctor or trained medical specialist will use special IPL equipment. Depending on the type of equipment, treatments vary, but generally speaking, he or she will will have a hand held or hand controlled device that emits the IPL treatments. This device will be used against the area being treated. The doctor controls the intensity and duration of the treatments using this device.
  • IPL treatments are known to reduce the following symptoms: persistent facial redness and flushing, the visibility of dilated blood vessels, and the presences of red bumps known as papules and pastules.
  • It’s rare to only seek one treatment; more common is receiving 3-6 over a period of time.
  • IPL treatments are not considered as painful as other light and laser treatments. However, side effects include swelling, bruising, redness, and a lightening of the skin. These side effects are temporary and will go away.
  • After treatment, the area treated will need to be protected from sun exposure and other aggravating factors that trigger your rosacea symptoms.
  • IPL treatments for rosacea run in the thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, insurance rarely covers such treatments. Prices vary, but a good rule of thumb is to expect treatment costs to run up to $5,000.

Having realistic expectations about the results obtainable from IPL rosacea treatments is mandatory. There is no cure for rosacea, and IPL is not effective for everyone who receives it. That being said, doctors and dermatologists have seen very good results using these IPL treatments to reduce the symptoms of rosacea, and it is good to know that the majority of patients do respond very well to IPL rosacea treatments.

If you’d like to learn more about how IPL may help reduce the facial flushing, redness, and breakouts caused by rosacea, talk to your dermatologist today.

Also see:  PDL Laser Treatments for Rosacea.

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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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Is There a Rosacea Cure?

October 31st, 2009

Is there a cure for rosacea?

This is a good question, an understandable one, one in which the day will surely come when the answer is yes. Unfortunately, right now, the answer is no, there is not a cure for rosacea.

The good news is that there is legitimate research going on into finding a cure for rosacea. Many concede that one prominent problem in this area is a lack of our understanding as to what causes rosacea. When research into rosacea reveals a clear answer to the question of what causes rosacea, it provides a logical route towards finding a rosacea cure by simply determining how to remove, stop, or reverse those causes. But while we don’t understand the clear cause behind rosacea, determining what would cure this skin condition is a bumpy research project.

In place of  “the rosacea cure”, so to speak, the logical fill-in stands. This, of course, means the various treatments for rosacea that have developed and are currently in development. Most people who have to deal with rosacea come to a point in their lives where the treatments and lifestyle conditions they experience lead to a situation in which the symptoms of rosacea are nicely under control. These symptoms – facial flushing, redness of the face, bumps, and so on – may not disappear entirely. They may be be put under control in the sense of being minimized or not present most of the time.

It’s important to see additionally that it’s not just rosacea treatment that lead to keeping rosacea under control. It’s not simply taking prescription medicine for rosacea or over the counter rosacea treatments, or even high quality, expensive laser treatments. Obviously, these things are an integral part of the equation, but a person cannot discount the overall environment and lifestyle factors that play into the equation as well.

What does this mean? It’s about “triggers”, which is anything that leads to an increase or emergence of the symptoms of rosacea. These vary wildly, from stress factors to sun exposure to exercise to seemingly random things such as eating yogurt, or even, ironically, a reaction to certain treatment medication. All these things can be grouped together as seen as a sort of “lifestyle factor”. Keeping these lifestyle factors under control in such a way as to control the severity of rosacea is just as important as the medication and treatments for rosacea themselves.

These two factors – treatment and lifestyle – remain the only default “rosacea cure” that exists until research scientists uncover and test a real cure for rosacea.

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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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Types of Rosacea

October 25th, 2009

The term rosacea is used to describe a set of symptoms related to facial redness and red bumps that are often misinterpreted as acne.

(Note: Acne and rosacea are two different conditions, and although related, are not the same. For more information, see Rosacea and Acne.)

Actually, the term includes different types, or variants, of rosacea. In this article we’ll take a look at these different types of rosacea.

1. Ocular Rosacea. The term ocular refers to the eyes. Ocular rosacea is a subset of rosacea where the symptoms are most present in the eyes (and the eyelids) of the patient. This typically means the person experiences persistent irritation in the eyes, along with dryness and redness. Additionally, this may also include itching and burning sensations as well.

2. Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea. The first word here is a mouthful but take a closer look and you may notice that it includes a more common term often familiar to those with rosacea: erythema. Erythema describes the condition of permanent (or near permanent) redness of the skin. For patients with this type of rosacea, the prominent symptom is facial redness, which is overall one of the most common symptoms of rosacea. Sometimes Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea is also marked with visible blood vessels on the surface.

3. Phymatous Rosacea. This type of rosacea is one of the more well known even though people aren’t aware of the actual name for it. It is most often associated with what’s known as “rhinophyma”, or, more simply, a large, bulb-shaped and red nose. Unlike most types of rosacea, phymatous rosacea is largely more common in men than it is in women. While it’s cause remains unknown, the theory that it’s related to high alcohol consumption is a myth. This is one of the more rare types of rosacea.

4. Papulopustular Rosacea. This symptoms of this type of rosacea is often incorrectly confused as bad acne. This is because this type of rosacea leads to the formation of what’s called papules and pustules on the face – red bumps, including red bumps containing pus.

The different types of rosacea that have been identified point to the suggestion that there may be different causes and conditions that lead to their development. It is not yet been positively identified or agreed upon as to what causes rosacea to develop in a person, although a number of theories abound, including genetics and a history of rosacea in the family, the presence of certain peptides, certain intestinal bacteria types, and the high presence demodex mites.

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