Rosacea

Rosacea is a poorly understood skin disease that is characterized as its name implies: a red blush of the face. It is a disorder of the superficial blood vessels in the face. It progresses as the vessels dilate after certain they encounter triggers, such as heat, spicy food, exertion, alcohol, etc. The vessels become damaged from the dilatation, making it easier for the vessels to dilate again and to stay dilated longer until there is a permanent redness. Prolonged redness and dilatation may lead to bumps in the skin, burning and stinging sensations, gritty eyes, and in severe cases, a large bumpy nose called a rhinophyma.

The best treatment is Intense Pulse Light (IPL). The IPL uses selected wavelengths of visible light that is absorbed by the oxyhemoglobin of the red blood cells in the capillaries. The absorbed energy heats the capillary, damaging its lining and obliterating the vessel. Different filters can alter the depth of penetration of the light and thereby treat capillaries at different depths within the skin. Treatment typically requires a series of three to six treatments.

Larger individual facial vessels commonly found around the base of the nose may require treatment with the Nd:YAG laser. In rare cases of rhinophyma, the nose can be sculpted with the CO₂ laser. We recommend that our patients use skin care cosmeceuticals designed for sensitive skin, such as in select Biomedic products.