Rosacea Treatment
Rosacea treatments, symptoms, & types
Alliviate the RED: Rosacea treatments, symptoms, triggers, and types
As we age, we see Rosacea becoming more prevalent in the faces around us, even perhaps our own.Perhaps this is because this skin disorder affects an estimated 2 million Canadians. That’s an outstanding figure, considering Canada is home to an estimated 35.87 million people.
ABOUT ROSACEA
Rosacea may begin in childhood as a flattering natural blush appearing on the cheeks, but may spread and progress gradually to the other areas of the face, the ears, chest, back, and eyes in adulthood. Rosacea typically develops between the ages 30 to 50. It affects more women, perhaps because our skin is thinner, but when men develop rosacea, it seems to be more severe. If left untreated and unmanaged, rosacea symptoms become more severe in time, decreasing treatment success rate. Nearly three quarters of rosacea sufferers report feelings of low self-esteem.
Rosacea appears to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, which may include the immune system and a family history. It is unknown exactly what causes Rosacea, however, research shows that Rosacea is a chronic condition without a cure.
Like other chronic conditions, managing triggers that affect this skin disorder paired with treatment can reduce Rosacea symptoms.
SYMPTOMS OF ROSACEA
If you are dealing with Rosacea, you may experience some of the following:
- Flushing
- Persistent Redness
- Bumps and Pimples
- Visible Blood Vessels
- Broken Capillaries
- Burning or Stinging
- Swelling
- Eye Irritation
- Dry Appearance
- Skin Thickening
- Plaques (overgrowths of skin)
There are four forms of rosacea, which are defined by the following range of symptoms:
Mild: Characterized by occasional or consistent facial flushing and redness. There may some swelling, burning and stinging, roughness, and visible red blood vessels as it progresses to the next level.
Moderate: Characterized by persistent mild symptoms, plus the appearance of pimple-like bumps. Unfortunately, many people mistake moderate Rosacea for acne, and do not treat their condition appropriately until more advanced levels of Rosacea.
Severe (Rhinophym): Characterized by moderate Rosacea symptoms, plus the thickening of the skin tissue and plaque formation in the nose thereby giving an enlarged appearance.
Ocular: Characterized by skin symptoms that also affect the eyes and eyelids. It may cause redness to the surrounding skin tissue but also burning or stinging, dryness, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and watery, bloodshot eyes.
MANAGING ROSACEA TRIGGERS:
Should you decide to treat your Rosacea successfully, you must avoid or minimize the following factors:
Weather
Protect skin from sun, wind, and excess temperatures (something we all experience living in Canada). We cannot emphasize how important using sunscreen daily is, even during winter! Throughout the winter months, cover your cheeks and face with a scarf. Wash the scarf/scarves regularly. If possible, replace the scarf every day or every other day to prevent breakouts.
Food and Drink
Avoid eating/drinking hot soup and hot drinks, as well as spicy foods. Try to avoid or minimize your alcohol intake. These foods and drinks trigger rosacea as they increase blood flow and promote dilation of the blood vessels under the skin. This may sound like a daunting task initially, but keeping track of dietary triggers from the start of your treatment can help normalize your diet as you teach yourself new eating habits.
Intense Exercise
This is not an excuse to skip physical activity! All we are saying is that when exercising, try to avoid over-heating. This may mean you go to the gym more often for shorter periods of time, or perhaps you change the time of day you exercise. Also, exercising near a fan when indoors is a good way to keep you cool during your workout. If you do feel that you overheated, take a cool shower to minimize symptom flare-up.
Stress
This one is a bit more difficult to manage for some people. Stress is part of life and learning stress management techniques will do more for your life than reduce Rosacea symptoms. When you’re feeling stress, try relaxation techniques such as deep-breathing exercises, meditation or visualization techniques, where you visualize your stress as an inanimate object of which you mentally “let go”. Additionally, if possible, try to add activities that will help you physically relieve stress, such as going for a massage, or doing yoga.
ROSACEA TREATMENT
At Dérmica, we treat Rosacea with laser treatments.
ALIVIA ME PHOTOFACIAL
Description: Dérmica’s Alivia ME Treatment will diminish redness and dissolve broken capillaries on areas of the face and neckline.
Vascular lesions are due to conditions such as Rosacea, couperose skin, sensitized skin, or skin trauma. These types of conditions are characterized by frequent, consistent redness, and visible redness and broken capillaries. They are most commonly found in the facial and neck area. If left untreated these conditions can worsen, or mutate the skin’s texture.
We treat these conditions by emitting a light beam into the skin which is absorbed by different skin lesions. Through selective photothermolysis, the light pulse selectively destroys a specified target without damaging the surrounding tissue, causing the blood to coagulate and the vessel to break up into particles that are naturally filtered away through the body’s lymphatic system.
Alivia ME is performed using Sharplight’s Formax-VP System. This equipment delivers quick pulses of light into the skin, targeting only the selected area. The hand piece also features a contact cooling tip that cools the skin being treated, adding maximum comfort and protection.
Time frame: 45 minutes
Recommended sessions: 4-6
Downtime required: 24 hrs
Description: Dérmica’s Alivia ME Treatment will diminish redness and dissolve broken capillaries on areas of the face and neckline.
Vascular lesions are due to conditions such as Rosacea, couperose skin, sensitized skin, or skin trauma. These types of conditions are characterized by frequent, consistent redness, and visible redness and broken capillaries. They are most commonly found in the facial and neck area. If left untreated these conditions can worsen, or mutate the skin’s texture.
We treat these conditions by emitting a light beam into the skin which is absorbed by different skin lesions. Through selective photothermolysis, the light pulse selectively destroys a specified target without damaging the surrounding tissue, causing the blood to coagulate and the vessel to break up into particles that are naturally filtered away through the body’s lymphatic system.
Alivia ME is performed using Sharplight’s Formax-VP System. This equipment delivers quick pulses of light into the skin, targeting only the selected area. The hand piece also features a contact cooling tip that cools the skin being treated, adding maximum comfort and protection.
Time frame: 45 minutes
Recommended sessions: 4-6
Downtime required: 24 hrs
Pre-treatment protocols:
- Must not currently be on or have used Accutane or any other oral prescription acne medications in the past 12 months
- If currently using any products containing AHA/BHA/Retin A/Vitamin A on the area being treated, you must discontinue usage 2 weeks prior to procedure
- Must wait a minimum of 4 weeks (or up to 6 weeks for darker skin types) from last tanning (artificial or natural) session
- If currently on any prescription medications, check with your physician regarding possible photosensitivity
- Diabetes
- Pregnancy
- Disorders stimulated by light
- Cancer (remission under 2 years)
- Epilepsy
- Use of photosensitive medication and herbs
- Active infection of Herpes Simplex in treatment area
- Use of anticoagulants
- Discomfort
- Fragile skin
- Edema (swelling)
- Erythema (redness)
Dérmica MedEsthetics
Love, Peace, and Great Skin!
(780) 885-7108
dermica.ca
Data sources
WPR. Canada Population 2015. Retrieved from http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/canada-population/
RosaceaFacts. What is happening with my skin and what can I do about it? Retrieved from http://www.rosaceafacts.ca
Chatelaine. Rosacea. Retrieved from http://www.chatelaine.com/health/health-a-z/rosacea/
Canadian Dermatology Association. Rosacea. Retrieved from http://www.dermatology.ca/skin-hair-nails/skin/rosacea/#/
