Understanding Rosacea

Rosacea is a common skin condition that can cause major anxiety for sufferers. It appears on the face and looks similar to adult acne, which is why it is often misdiagnosed. It may or may not worse with time, and it varies in severity. Certain things like alcohol or spicy foods may worsen rosacea. Over 13 million Americans have rosacea.

Many people with rosacea have broken blood vessels on their cheeks, as well as red papules or pustules all over the face. In about half the cases, people also have eye conditions like conjunctivitis, dry gritty eyes, sties and blepharitis.

Symptoms of Rosacea

* Facial stinging and burning * Facial flushing and blushing, sometimes ersistant redness * Papules and pustules (pimples) * Telangectasiae, (blood vessel lines) * Eye conditions * Skin thickening (rhinophyma)

Rosacea Treatments

Rosacea is usually treated with prescription medications and topical products. Common topical treatments are azelaic acid, sodium sulfacetamide, and topical metronidazole. There are a few antibiotics that are used to treat rosacea: erythromycin, minocycline, doxycycline and tetracycline. If rosacea is not receptive to these treatments, a physician may prescribe isotretinoin (Accutane), however this is usually a last resort as it has more serious side effects like liver complications, birth defects and worsening of depression. You can also find companies that specialize in rosacea makeup, which is specially formulated to target and cover redness. While it won't treat rosacea, it will cover up problem areas and improve confidence.