Rosacea Treatment
There are many management strategies for rosacea, and these often depend on what subtype of rosacea you have. Often times, treatment involves approaching your rosacea from multiple different angles, and finding a tailored approach specific to your needs.
The first step in managing rosacea is to identify and avoid environmental and lifestyle triggers that make your redness and flushing worse. The National Rosacea Society has a diary that is free for members. The appearance of flushing, redness and visible blood vessels may also be concealed with cosmetics, and facial discomfort may benefit from appropriate skin care, both discussed under Skin Care & Cosmetics.
The dermatologists at Village Dermatology are experienced specialists in treating rosacea. Schedule an appointment at our Houston and Katy offices. To specifically treat the acne-like breakouts associated with rosacea, we often use topical and/or oral antibiotics to control the disease. These regimens must be done long-term to prevent breakouts over time.
Topical medications can be used to treat the redness associated with rosacea, which temporarily help the blood vessels constrict to appear less red. However, to permanently treat the vessels, a laser is usually recommended to actually target and destroy the small vessels. This is a very safe and effective treatment, but is not covered by insurance. Typically about 3 treatments are necessary, and more may be recommended to get the desired effect. The two lasers we commonly use are IPL (intense pulsed light, also commonly called a photofacial) and PDL (pulsed dye laser). To maintain results, most patients also need follow-up laser or light treatments.
How to choose rosacea friendly sunscreen
Finding a sunscreen that will not irritate your sensitive skin can be a challenge and it is very important to find one since it is the most common trigger of rosacea. We recommend that you look for a sunscreen with:
Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both
Silicone (may be listed as dimethicone, orcyclomethicone, or cyclomethicone)
No fragrance (label may say “fragrance free,” but if it says “unscented” choose another sunscreen)
Broad-spectrum protection
SPF 30 or higher
To view examples of the four subtypes, see Faces of Rosacea.
