Rosacea

WHAT IS ROSACEA?

Rosacea is a distressing acne-like skin disease that causes continual redness of the central area of the face. It affects the cheeks, chin, forehead and lower half of the nose.
Rosacea may also have several other symptoms and signs that appear together. These include frequent blushing, prominent blood vessels (called telangiectasia), itchy bloodshot eyes and small red bumps that may contain pus (pustules).
While there is no cure for rosacea and the cause is unknown, there are many treatment choices. Vascular laser or intense pulse light laser (IPL) are most often used to treat rosacea.

MEDI-FACT

Rosacea is a very common skin condition that affects an estimated 45 million people worldwide.
The signs and symptoms of rosacea reportedly tend to become increasingly severe without treatment.

Some Rosacea facts

Most people with rosacea don’t know that it is a diagnosable and treatable condition.
It mostly affects Caucasian people who have blue eyes and fair skin, who are aged between 30 and 60 years.
While rosacea is a long term (chronic) skin condition, it is not contagious or infectious.
Unlike normal acne, most adults do not outgrow rosacea. The condition involves sporadic flare-ups.
Rosacea may differ significantly from one person to another. It’s important to get expert medical advice so your doctor can work out a customised medical treatment for you.

HOW IT WORKS:

Vascular lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL) systems are most often used to treat rosacea. Treatment focuses on decreasing the size and amount of superficial blood vessels and treating broken capillaries.
Depending on the severity and extent of your rosacea symptoms, your doctor will choose the best laser treatment method for you.
Vascular Lasers: To reduce severe redness, blushing or remove unsightly visible blood vessels, vascular lasers emit wavelengths of light.
The light beams, which are highly absorptive in blood, target tiny blood vessels just under the skin. When heat from the laser’s energy builds in the vessels, it coagulates the blood inside the vessels, causing them to collapse and close up.
Intense Pulse Light laser: The (IPL) laser generates multiple light energy wavelengths to selectively destroy targeted blood vessels.
The laser light is absorbed in the blood flowing through the targeted blood vessel. The density of IPL energy pulses can be customised according to the lesion being treated and the desired result.
Once the unwanted vessel collapses, it is slowly reabsorbed by the body over a period of several weeks.
An additional benefit you may receive from having pulsed light treatment is that it reduces pigmentation and results in an overall skin rejuvenating effect.
During the laser treatment, you will wear safety shields/glasses to protect your eyes.
The procedure takes anywhere between a few minutes to 30 minutes, depending on the severity and size of the treatment area.
You may experience a brief warm sensation as the laser pulses are absorbed by the unwanted blood vessels, but the procedure usually entails minimal discomfort.

WHY IT CAN HELP YOU:

If you have rosacea, you will know how it can affect your self confidence. However, the good news is that rosacea can be treated effectively.
Advanced laser systems enable doctors to precisely treat visible blood vessels, broken capillaries, vascular lesions and skin discoloration associated with rosacea.
For best results, it is recommended to have two or three treatments that a spaced apart at three- to six-week intervals.

RESULTS: WHAT TO EXPECT:

Decreased redness and significant reduction of facial veins are often already seen after only two laser sessions. In most other cases, you should notice a dramatic improvement within two to six weeks after treatment.
For optimal results and depending on the severity, it is advised to have at least two or three laser sessions. This is because some of the treated blood vessels may disappear immediately, while others are still visible and need follow up sessions to make them go completely.
After treatment, the improvement usually lasts for a few years. However, because new veins will develop over time, it will require a repeat treatment at a later date.
If your rosacea is more severe, your doctor may recommend a combination of different treatments together with laser therapy. This may include antibacterial sulfa washes, topical antibacterial creams, and oral antibiotics.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS:

Quick and safe treatment
Minimal discomfort and side effects
No down time – most patients resume their normal daily activities immediately afterwards
IPL laser treatments deliver long lasting results and significantly improving the most troublesome symptoms of rosacea (i.e. redness, flushing and prominent blood vessels).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

You may experience some redness, swelling or bruising around the treated area. This is temporary and will go away in a few days. The treated area may be sensitive to the touch and it may feel as if you are slightly sunburnt. However, this will go away soon.
In between laser treatments, you have to avoid exposure to sunlight.