Dealing With Rosacea Flare-Ups

Rosacea, for many, is a scourge. The chronic skin condition is defined by prominent blood vessels, redness, and bumps that are filled with pus. It also can worsen unpredictably and even spread to your back or chest, with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

The people most prone to rosacea typically have family members with the condition, are fair-skinned, are over 40, and, more often than not, are women, but anyone can be afflicted. The problem is often confused with acne, but they’re very different conditions. 

No cure exists for rosacea, but treatments that help control the ravages of rosacea — on your looks and self-confidence — do exist. Dr. Robert Topham and the team at Holladay Dermatology & Aesthetics can tame those unpredictable, maddening flare-ups. 

What triggers rosacea?

First, it’s important for you to understand that there are multiple classes of rosacea: 

• Erythrotelangiectatic rosacea causes redness and prominent blood vessels
• Papulopustular rosacea is known for causing redness, pimples, and swelling
• Phymatous rosacea is characterized by thickened, bumpy skin
• Ocular rosacea aggravates the eyes, causing redness and swelling

No matter what type or combination of rosacea symptoms you have, one thing is certain: It can make you feel awful about how you look. 

Little is known about the specific causes of rosacea, but we believe heredity plays a role. Some research has linked the condition to the immune system and another possible causal factor called Dermotex, a type of skin mite. 

While the cause or causes of rosacea remain unclear, the condition is associated with many triggers:

• Sun exposure
• Wind
• Spicy foods
• Alcohol
• Very hot or frigid weather conditions
• Certain types of makeup
• Strenuous exercise
• Emotional upheaval and stress
• Medications that cause blood vessels to dilate

All of these things exacerbate rosacea because they elevate how much blood flows to your skin’s surface.

How can I control my rosacea flare-ups?

It’s important to seek treatment for your rosacea flare-ups promptly, because the condition intensifies over time. It’s also better to seek treatment for a mild case than when you’re saddled with severe symptoms. 

To ease the symptoms of your rosacea, we’ve found success with a number of strategies. When we treat your rosacea, we work with you to pursue every possible remedy, as a team.

For starters, we help you discover your own rosacea triggers and create a plan to avoid them. This is the best way to reduce the number and severity of flare-ups. Another thing it’s important for you to do is to apply sunscreen every day, as people with rosacea are sun-sensitive.

We also can prescription medications, which are symptom-specific. Another option is laser treatment. 

Laser treatment can really help rosacea?

You bet. Despite rosacea’s seemingly countless symptoms and unpredictability in terms of where, when, and how badly it strikes, lasers offer a viable rosacea treatment option for many patients.

We’ve seen exceptional results with CUTERA’s enlighten®️ laser treatment, and it specifically targets the main symptoms of erythrotelangiectatic rosacea — the type with widespread redness and highly visible blood vessels.

This treatment offers several technologies at once, including a faster picosecond laser combined with heat, which allows us to finely tune your treatment. The enlighten laser experience includes comfort-related benefits for you, too:

• It’s noninvasive
• Treatments aren’t lengthy
• Laser therapy sessions are comfortable and easy to tolerate
• Side effects are minimal

The biggest advantage of enlighten treatments, however, is their effect on the look of your skin. During the treatment, your most unsightly, reddest areas take in the laser energy. The laser destroys your discoloration, yet your skin is unaffected. 

Laser therapy is so effective that rosacea patients have reported an impressive 40%-60% reduction in their symptoms after only one treatment.

We know rosacea wears you down. We also know that time is of the essence when it comes to effective treatment of flare-ups. Take that first pivotal step and call our office or book an appointment online through our website. For your convenience, we’re open all day Saturday too!