At the Skin Nurse Clinic we treat many patients male and female with acne rosacea and/or rosacea. This is quite a common condition in Ireland with different levels, from 1 to 5. Five being the worse with angry acne pustules to mild rosacea where the patient skin-colour can just appear red at times.
A person may complain of a “stinging” sensation or cheeks becoming “very hot “. They may get spots small pimples with this condition. Rosacea skin can be very dry and feel tight and sensitive.
People with Rosacea may notice that there are certain triggers; for example spicy foods, extreme temperatures, alcohol especially red wine and cheese.
Home care creams play a very important role in hydrating the skin (vitamin c). The correct cleanser, a high SPF factor to protect the skin, a hydrating mask, and Hyaluronic acid are all good for hydrating the skin. The incorrect products can make the condition worse.
The rash of rosacea has a typical appearance and can be easily diagnosed by a suitable health care professional with experience in treating rosacea; there are no diagnostic laboratory tests. It usually starts with a tendency to flush or blush easily. After a while the central areas of the face become a permanent deeper shade of red, with some dilated blood vessels studded with small red bumps and pus filled spots which come and go in crops. The affected skin of the face is usually very sensitive, and the affected areas may feel hot or sting.
*DISCLAIMER Patient experience and results may vary. These are dependent on a number of factors such as lifestyle, age and medical history.
Research tells us that we don’t really know what causes rosacea and it’s not fully understood, the skin nurse (Nicola O’Byrne) believes after over 18 years of taking full medical history and assessing each patient that there is an heredity element.
This is very useful to reduce the appearance of redness. There is a 20-30% improvement with each treatment session. Usually 6 treatment sessions are recommended and a maintenance session once or twice yearly after that. It is important to follow a good skin care regime to maintain results.
After a diagnosis of Rosacea has been made a course of oral and/or topical antibiotics may be prescribed. Usually the course is for 3 to 6 months but sometimes a patient may require longer term antibiotics.
