There are multiple external factors that can trigger or exacerbate rosacea . The sun exposure , excessive heat or humidity are three of them , but so are very frequent in autumn and winter sudden temperature changes.
Rosacea is a chronic disease characterized by the appearance of redness on the skin , a sign that can cause a significant psychological and emotional impact on the patient who suffers from it. Although there is no cure , there are a wide variety of solutions on the market that can soften these injuries and help improve the quality of life of patients.
As CuídatePlus Almudena Nuño, a member of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology , reports , “Rosacea is a skin pathology that affects between 3 and 10% of the population, being more frequent in women, especially among 30 and 60 years “and that” it can be aggravated by external factors and even moments of stress, “adds Mayte Truchuelo, a dermatologist at the Vithas International Dermatological Institute .
It has different phases: “ O-telangiectatic erythema , which is how patients with diffuse redness on the face, predominantly on the cheeks, nose, and sometimes forehead and chin, are called; the papulo-pustular phase ( papule-postulates), which is when the pimples appear to a greater or lesser intensity, and the fimatous phase , in which a thickening of the skin of the affected area occurs ”, describes Nuño. Depending on each of them, the dermatologist will apply one treatment or another.
The ideal to prevent lesions from developing and approaching the most advanced phase is to act on time and for this both experts advise going to the dermatologist before the appearance of redness on the face . “This occurs because patients have visible blood vessels on the skin and are very susceptible to temperature changes, causing a burning or heat sensation on the face with certain stimuli, such as exposure to the sun, excessive heat or the application of irritating creams ”.
After the diagnosis of rosacea, according to Truchuelo, the measures common to all patients will be:
- Pay special attention to hydration, as they are skins that dehydrate more easily (with specific products for sensitive skin , which associate anti-inflammatories, painkillers, etc.).
- Use photoprotection, since the sun is one of the triggers.
- Avoid aggressive and chemical products, which can be irritating or aggressive.
In addition to these tips, the expert advises the use of cosmetics that, although they do not cure rosacea, they can improve symptoms. The most effective assets for this are “anti-inflammatory principles such as bisabolol, niacinamine, rose hip, enoxolone or derivatives of licorice extract, cathelicidin (which also has an antimicrobial effect), allantoin or neurosensin”, lists Truchuelo.
To these, the expert adds others that are intended to hydrate the skin such as glycerin, beeswax, some vegetable oils or hyaluronic acid. ” In his opinion, a good way to hydrate, treat and camouflage the lesions would be to use a BBCream , “a cosmetic product that provides a touch of color and also offers photoprotection and hydration.”
When using these cosmetics, which are also used by dermatologists as an adjunct treatment to medical therapies, other tips must be added, such as avoiding the triggers for redness (such as stress), using sunscreen daily and moderating the consumption of spicy or the alcohol.
More specific treatments
As mentioned before, rosacea is a skin condition that has no cure. If the patient cannot stop the injuries with the use of topical cosmetics, he can go to other more specific solutions that will be applied depending on the stage of the disease .
For the most superficial cases “vascular lasers can be used, such as pulsed light, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and also produces facial rejuvenation,” Truchuelo points out. The problem with these treatments is that, according to Nuño, ” they are not available in most hospitals, so the patient will have to go to a private clinic .”
For papule-pustular lesions (papule-postulates) you can use “topical cream treatments such as metronidazole or ivermectin gel, or oral therapies such as doxycycline or isotretinoin,” Nuño explains. To these therapies, Truchuelo adds others such as “the CO2 laser, which achieves a thinning of thickened skin”.
The fimatous phase can be treated with “surgery or with an ablative laser,” according to Truchuelo.
To these treatments, Nuño includes newer ones, such as ” carvedilol , a beta-blocker that is used to lower blood pressure and that can be useful to reduce redness, at a low dose and three times a day.”
Finally, in the most rebellious cases, botulinum toxin can be used . “This active acts by regulating the dilation and contraction of the blood vessels”, as Nuño describes.
“It is applied through superficial injections in a single session,” according to Truchuelo, who points out that “the ideal is to put few units, with several infiltrations.”
Despite its effectiveness, according to Nuño, “it is a treatment that is not normally used because it can partially paralyze the facial muscles in the area and because the effect lasts only 6 months.”
