Rosacea Acne Treatments

Determining whether you have acne vulgaris or acne rosacea is not an easy task. Acne rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that is characterized by persistent redness and dilated small blood vessels called telangiectases. Swelling, with inflammed acne bumps, along with a tendency toward blushing and flushing are all hallmark symptoms of rosacea. Accurate diagnosis between acne vulgaris and acne rosacea is critical in determining the best course of treatment actions, and which medications to use.

Identification

Fair-skinned women over the age of 30 are the most prone to getting this condition. Rosacea begins with a persistent blush on the cheeks and nose. Consuming spicy foods, hot drinks and alcohol will make the condition more noticeable and obvious. The inflammation tends to spread, and men in particular seem to develop a severe form in which the nose becomes bulbous, red and tender. One of the major factors that contribute to rosacea is recurrent facial flushing. By triggering facial blushing or flushing, which is an increase in blood flow to the face, rosacea symptoms can worsen. The many potential triggers for flushing include the sun, hot environments, wind, cold, physical irritation, acne products and skin care products, among other things. Some rosacea triggers are internal, like stress, anxiety, hormone-related conditions and overstrenuous exercise that results in overheating.

Treatment Options

Treatment that is beneficial to both acne vulgaris and acne rosacea is the use of topical and oral antibiotics. Rosacea often responds well to topical metronidazole products such as Metrogel and Noritate. Rosacea, like acne vulgaris, often can be improved with topical sodium sulfacetamide products like Rosanil, Klaron and Clenia.
Acne rosacea can vary a great deal in its severity. Some people with rosacea have little more than sensitive skin with a mild redness. However, other people can suffer tremendously from extreme redness with a lot of disfigurement.

Effects

Rosacea can incorporate different stages. The pre-rosacea stage encompasses episodes of facial flushing that go away quickly. Advanced stages are characterized by a large bulbous nose. In the intermediate stage of rosacea, a permanent redness of the face may present itself with prominent dilated blood vessels and swelling that persists for longer periods of time. Patients may experience bad flareups and feel pulsating facial pain and general discomfort that lasts for several days. This can disrupt a normal lifestyle. Often outbreaks of papules and pustules occur in this stage. In addition, most symptoms are aggravated by the addition of topical preparations like acne preparations, which can further irritate and burn the skin. Cosmetics and cleansers may also aggravate the condition. Unfortunately, rosacea may also affect the eyes with symptoms like dryness, irritation, tearing and swelling of the eyelids. Laser treatments are an option for those with this level of severity, and used in conjunction with topical and oral antibiotics, this can be a positive course of treatment. Isotretinoin can be helpful when other treatments fail in severe cases.

B Vitamins and Retin-A

Some patients who suffer from cases of rosacea also suffer from migraine headaches. An intolerance to certain types of food may be a factor. For these people, large doses of vitamin B, in particular B2 (riboflavin), have shown promising results. Retin- A may also be helpful. This is a topical medication most often used to treat acne. It can also be used to treat the pimples and bumps that develop from rosacea. While it helps with these specific conditions, overall, it does not help with the facial redness that occurs with rosacea.

Sun Protection

A relatively simple treatment for rosacea is using a protective barrier such as zinc oxide or dimethicone. A major drawback to using zinc oxide is its ugly white appearance, but there is promise that by combining it with dimethicone, the whiteness factor will be lessened, and the application will be more appealing. This can provide a good daily protectant against external triggers of rosacea such as wind, heat, sun and exercise.

Accutane

Accutane, which is a derivative of vitamin A, has been used with much success to treat severe acne vulgaris and other dermatological diseases. It works by inhibiting sebaceous gland function and making these glands smaller. It also has potent anti-inflammatory properties, which make it a good option for the treatment of patients who have resistant rosacea. It is capable of achieving long-term results and may lead to the remission of papules and bumps, as well as a decrease in the facial burning.

Combination Treatments

Work with your dermatologist to determine the best course of action in treating your rosacea. Often a combination of treatments will yield results that make having rosacea less of an ordeal.