Three of the world’s leading dermatology journals agree – rosacea is on the rise. According to the British Journal of Dermatology, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, instances of the chronic facial skin condition increased by as much as 40% over the past few decades. People seeking rosacea treatment Sydney-wide is also on the rise, possibly because stress levels are through the roof but also because the treatments themselves are proving more and more effective – boosting demand.
Characterised by redness, flushing and visible blood vessels on the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin, rosacea also resembles acne-like bumps accompanied by dry, irritated skin and a burning or stinging sensation.
The exact causes are not completely understood, but exposure to sunlight, changes in weather extremes, stress, alcohol, spicy foods, certain medications as well as genetic and immune system factors are all believed to be in the mix.
Unfortunately, there is no definitive cure for rosacea – but there is a growing range of treatments and plenty of other ways to manage the symptoms. It’s really about finding the best ways to focus on the irritation as it arises, many of which focus on lifestyle changes like avoiding the environmental conditions that trigger an outbreak as well as:
Before seeking treatment, it’s important to get a firm diagnosis for rosacea so that other potential conditions can be ruled out and the most effective treatments can be commenced. The best specialist to go to is a skin expert or dermatologist, who will make their diagnosis based not only on the symptoms but also your medical and medication history, lifestyle, and possible a range of tests including a Wood’s lamp exam, patch tests, detection of Demodex mites and even skin biopsies.
The specifics of the diagnosis, the severity of the condition, and individual patient factors will determine the best course of action and potential treatments. But the really great news is that there are plenty of treatments to try, including:
Certain general or specially-formulated moisturisers can help to soothe and hydrate skin, reducing irritation and dryness and giving your body a helping hand in resisting or minimising an outbreak. Moisturisers can also strengthen the skin’s natural barrier function to protect against environmental irritants. Just be careful to stay away from formulations with fragrances and dyes, and also look for products that are designed for sensitive skin.
As sunlight and UV exposure is a potential rosacea triggers, it’s a great idea to incorporate daily application of sunscreens designed for sensitive skin into your routine.
‘Topical’ means the application of a product directly to the skin in the form of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and other drugs, creams and formulations that can help to reduce the redness, swelling and pimples.
One of the best topical medicines for rosacea is Brimonidine gel – which is an alpha-adrenergic agonist drug that constricts blood vessels in the skin with an often rapid effect. Another topical medicine to try is the anti-inflammatory Azelaic acid.
If topical treatments are not working well enough, oral antibiotics can be prescribed – although prolonged use can lead to side effects and antibiotic resistance. However, they can be quite effective at reducing inflammation and killing the skin bacteria that cause the outbreaks.
We heard quite a lot about ivermectin during the covid-19 pandemic, but there’s no doubt that it’s a proven and approved anti-inflammatory drug for rosacea. Especially when outbreaks are so bad that papules and pustules have formed, the anti-parasitic qualities kill microscopic Demodex mites and the drug can be taken both topically and orally.
After the drugs and creams, there is also a range of procedures that can help with rosacea – including chemical peels. Also used to help with wrinkles, age spots and other skin blemishes, the process involves applying a chemical solution that exfoliates and regenerates the top layers of the skin.
For this procedure, a specialist uses a device rather than chemicals to remove the skin’s top layers. It can be particularly helpful for rosacea because the production of collagen is stimulated and the circulation of the skin is improved. However, like chemical peels, some patients may find that these procedures actually further irritate the affected areas.
This rosacea treatment involves using a small amount of directed electrical current to destroy visible blood vessels and reduce redness. The current is delivered with a small probe or electrode needle with the effect of coagulating the visible vessels, with local anaesthesia often necessary.
Rather than electrical currents, laser treatments for rosacea involve the use of highly-accurate laser-produced light wavelengths to target the affected areas. There are various specific forms of laser or light-based therapy, but in most cases, the laser clinic will use a hand-held device to deliver the wavelengths that heat up the vessels and sebaceous glands and destroy and shrink the visible anomalies.
At Disappear Laser Clinic, our trained and experienced specialists offer a range of laser treatments for rosacea that are both safe and effective.
Pico Plus Fractional Skin Rejuvenation: We use the latest Picosecond Fractional Laser technology to induce production of collagen and elastin in the deeper dermal layers of the skin.
Pico Plus Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing: With the same technology, controlled micro-wounds are made to the skin with minimal discomfort and fast recovery times.
Pico Plus Skin Pigment Control: Also known as Pico toning or laser pigmentation removal, the laser targets the specific problem areas within the skin’s dermal and epidermal layers, with the microparticles then absorbed by the body’s lymphatic system.
Are you ready to give the fastest-growing rosacea treatment Sydney-wide a try? At Disappear
Laser Clinic,
we recommend multiple laser sessions – but some people experience significant improvement after just a single treatment and you can be back
at work or play on the very same day. The Quanta Systems Discovery Pico Plus Laser System is the world’s most powerful Pico laser – and the
only true 3-wavelength laser system in the world. Treatments are comfortable, recovery times are fast and the risks are minimal – so why not
have a chat with one of our specialists today?
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