Acne Rosacea
Acne Rosacea is often confused with acne vulgaris (the common form of acne), but is in reality a very different disease, and one which presents different problems, and different barriers to treatment than acne vulgaris. If you are an adult who experiences persistent flushing along with acne, you may need to consider alternate treatment methods.
Rosacea is a long-term skin disease that in serious cases can also effect the eyes. There are different stages of rosacea, but the primary symptom is a redish flushing of the skin. Often, dilated (bloated) blood vessels under the skin may become visible, and small red bumps can form, sometimes with the white puss that accompanies typical inflammatory acne. This redness can be accompanied by a burning sensation and itchyness, and in some cases the layer of skin begins to thicken unnaturally. The drying effects of rosacea can also spread to the eyes and eyelids, leading to potential vision problems.
The exact cause of rosacea is unknown, but experts speculate that it has to do with blood vessels which are too easily stimulated to dilate, and can remain dilated indefinitely. It is a quite common disease, effecting about 14 million in the US, mostly adults over the age of 30. Rosacea tends to effect only the face. Cases of body rosacea are very rare.
The acne-like pustules that accompany rosacea look very much like typical acne, but since their cause is very different, not all the same treatments will work. Unlike acne vulgaris, which has to do with the oil glands in your pores, acne rosacea is directly related tothe underlying blood vessels. Topical and oral antibiotics can still effectively kill off the bacteria that forms in rosacea papules and pustules, but these treatments will do little to reduce the appearance of inflammed red patches in the skin. The condition of rosacea can also make it easier to irritate the skin with topical treatments, bringing on new breakouts. Cleansers and exfoliants tend to have little effect since these lesions have even less to do with surface dirt than typical acne.
The bottom line is to treat rosacea differently than you would acne. Oral antibiotics are often necessary, both to prevent bacteria without further inflaming the skin, and also to kill demodex mites, which are five times more prevalent in patients with rosacea. Laser treatment can be used to reduce the appearance of blood vessels which have broken or become too easily visible. There is no cure to rosacea, but with a dermatologist’s help it can be treated to prevent the more serious problems.
