Rosacea Q & A

What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes persistent skin redness and visible blood vessels on your face. You may also experience small pimples that are red and sometimes filled with pus.

This condition is common in middle-aged women with fair skin, but it can affect anyone of any age.

What are the symptoms of rosacea?

Rosacea symptoms can appear for several weeks or months at a time before they go away again. During these flare-ups, you can experience symptoms in addition to skin redness and bumps, such as:

• Hot and tender skin
• Eye dryness
• Eye irritation

In some cases, rosacea can cause a thickening of the skin on your nose. This symptom can affect men and women but is more common in men.

What causes rosacea?

Doctors don’t fully understand the exact cause of rosacea, but common triggers can result in a flare-up of rosacea symptoms. These triggers include:

• Alcohol
• Sunlight
• Exercise
• Stress
• Cosmetics
• Spicy foods
• Hot drinks
• Certain medications

You also may be prone to developing rosacea symptoms if you have a family history of the condition.

Your Park Plaza Dermatology provider can determine through a physical exam if the symptoms you have are the result of rosacea. In some cases, you may require additional testing to rule out underlying medical conditions, such as psoriasis and lupus, that have symptoms similar to rosacea.

What treatment options are available for rosacea?

There’s no cure for rosacea, but with guidance from your provider at Park Plaza Dermatology, you can manage your symptoms and prevent future flare-ups.

Your provider examines the extent of your rosacea symptoms to determine the best course of treatment. 

Your options may include medications to reduce skin redness by restricting blood vessels. You may also benefit from oral antibiotics or acne medications to treat skin inflammation and prevent infection when bumps are present.

Laser treatment may also be beneficial in reducing the enlarged blood vessels that cause skin redness.

Your Park Plaza Dermatology provider can also recommend lifestyle changes that may prevent flare-ups of rosacea symptoms, such as wearing protective sunscreen and using gentle skin care products, such as cleansers, moisturizers, and makeup products. It might also help to identify factors that trigger your rosacea so that you can avoid them and reduce flare-ups in the future. 

To find relief from persistent skin redness and other rosacea symptoms, schedule a consultation with Park Plaza Dermatology by calling the office or booking online today.