What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is common chronic inflammatory skin disorder that causes redness, dilation of blood vessels, and pimples on the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. It is mostly a disorder of middle age and older adults, as the age of onset is between 30 and 50 years. It is relatively common among individuals with fair skin, light hair and eye color, and among those who experience frequent blushing or flushing. It is a chronic disorder and there is not a cure so many patients experience recurrences and the treatment goal is control.
What causes Rosacea?
The cause of the vascular dilatation leading to the clinical picture of rosacea is unknown. There are several things which have been found to cause exacerbations of rosacea including: sun exposure, spicy foods, hot liquids, and alcohol consumption.
What is the treatment for Rosacea?
Prevention of an exacerbation of rosacea is often achieved by avoiding personal trigger factors, whether it is sunlight, alcohol, or hot spicy foods. There are both topical and systemic therapies used to treat rosacea. Topical antibiotics, tretinoin cream and benzoyl peroxide are used to treat the inflammatory lesions. Systemic therapy consists of oral antibiotics.
Wolff K, Johnson, RA. Fitzpatrick’s Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology. Sixth Edition. 2009.