Rosacea (pronounced roh-ZAY-sha), is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that is characterized by redness, pimples, and/or broken blood vessels around the face and eyes. There can often be a “butterfly” pattern of redness detectable on the face.
Many people with rosacea may feel self-conscious about their appearance, particularly in social and professional settings. If facial redness is negatively impacting your self-confidence or your symptoms continue to worsen, contact Nashville Skin for an individualized treatment plan to improve and manage the appearance of your skin.
Rosacea can cause a range of symptoms, including:
- Lasting redness in the face accompanied by dry, sensitive skin
- Stinging
- Uncontrollable blushing or flushing appearance
- Swelling
- Small, visible blood vessels on the face
- Pimple-like blemishes or bumps
- Skin thickening and enlargement of the nose
Nashville’s Choice for Advanced Rosacea Treatment
While often mistaken for acne, rosacea is a chronic condition that may need a customized treatment plan in order to manage each patient’s unique set of symptoms. Every case of rosacea is different. Since symptoms may persist or quickly change, rosacea may require professional treatment to control flare-ups and keep skin healthy and looking it’s best. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for this skin disorder but the team at Nashville Skin have experience in the most groundbreaking medical dermatology treatments available to help you manage your symptoms.
What Causes Rosacea?
Currently, it is still unknown what exactly causes rosacea. An estimated 14 million Americans suffer from chronic facial redness and other uncomfortable rosacea symptoms. While rosacea is a lifelong condition, appropriate care from the skilled practitioners at Nashville Skin can help give long-term improvement.
Reliable Rosacea Treatment Options
From food to stress, there are a number of triggers associated with facial redness. A successful medical dermatology treatment plan begins with identifying your triggers and learning how to mitigate these factors with the help of a skin care specialist. In most cases, rosacea symptoms will flare up for several weeks or months at a time and then may just as suddenly subside for a while between flare-ups.
If rosacea is left untreated, symptoms can progressively worsen; causing lasting, irreversible skin thickening and possible disfigurement. Most rosacea patients need a combination of advanced techniques and treatments to get long-term, effective results, including oral and topical medications along with lasers and peels.
While rosacea can’t be cured, symptoms can be managed and improved through customized treatments. After a careful evaluation to determine the exact nature and severity of your rosacea symptoms, Nashville Skin may recommend the following treatments:
Oral and Topical Medications
New medications are now available that are proving to be very helpful in reducing lasting facial redness. Many skin care professionals will prescribe both oral and topical medications at the same time to get quicker results.
Topical treatments and oral medications that reduce inflammation and redness include:
Azelaic acid
These anti-inflammatory gels can help improve bumps, lesions, and swelling.
Metronidazole
This topical antibiotic also helps control bumps and redness.
Topical Ivermectin (Soolantra)
This is an anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory cream used to treat the inflammatory bumps and redness of rosacea.
Topical Vasoconstrictors (Mirvaso and Rhofade)
These topical medications temporarily reduce persistent redness with results in minutes upon application. The effects of the medication typically last 10-12 hours and are designed to be used as a daily application.
Oral antibiotics, like tetracycline and doxycycline, are often prescribed to help improve rosacea’s bacterial component along with inflammation.
Low-dose Doxycycline
An oral medication developed to specifically treat rosacea and the resulting inflammation. Leave out oracea since it’s name brand and covered in oral antibiotics
Lasers
In addition to medications, Nashville Skin may recommend the use of laser treatments to improve the appearance of facial redness or visible blood vessels. Lasers offer an effective, non-invasive option for reducing redness, uneven skin texture, and visible veins on the cheeks or other areas of the face.
Peels
For mild to moderate rosacea sufferers, a chemical peel followed by proper ongoing skin care can greatly improve the skin’s appearance. Medical-grade chemical peels exfoliate the top layer of the skin, revealing new, healthier skin, which helps reduce the appearance of redness and acne-like bumps caused by rosacea.
Sunscreen
Not all sunscreens protect against flare-ups of facial redness. It’s important to use non-chemical sunscreens that contain zinc or titanium dioxide and deliver UVA/UVB protection with an SPF of 35 or higher on a daily basis to protect the skin from sun damage. A formula designed for sensitive skin can help reduce the possibility of irritation while still protecting against the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.
Contact Us For Custom Rosacea Treatment and Management
If you have rosacea and are searching for long-term improvement, contact us today at one of our four convenient Nashville locations (21st Avenue S., Southern Hills Medical Center, Centennial Medical Center and St. Thomas Medical Center – Lennox Village ), or our Clarksville office to schedule a consultation.
Next, read about Skin Allergies.
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