In case you don't know, rosacea is a skin condition that is characterized by redness and flushing in the face. The exact cause of rosacea is not known, but many theories indicate chronic skin inflammation.
In addition to redness and flushing, many patients also develop acne-like breakouts. As if acne itself isn't bad enough, people with rosacea also experience pain and burning in the areas of redness.
Due to the very obvious redness in the face that is clearly visible and difficult to cover up, many patients report significant social impacts, leading to feelings of lower quality of life, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. While there are many topical creams that treat rosacea, they work best on the acne breakout aspect of rosacea, but do not diminish pre-existing and persistent redness.
Fortunately, for those who are unhappy with persisting background flushing and rosacea-related redness, lasers are considered to be the treatment of choice. Over the past 20 years, Maine Laser Skin Care has had abundant experience using lasers to target the background redness associated with rosacea with very satisfying results.
Over a series of treatments that are each about one month apart, patients can experience significantly reduced facial redness. As a result, they at least feel less self-conscious, and that is just one of the perks of a laser treatment.
We tell patients that we are treating symptoms of rosacea by reducing the “broken blood vessels“ and therefore reducing redness. However, we emphasize that we are not curing the disease of rosacea.
We also always stress that patients should be very proactive in efforts to keep rosacea in check. Inevitably, patients will see a return of blood vessels gradually over periods of several years. Repeat laser treatments will resolve the newly-developed future redness as well.
Many of those with rosacea can identify factors that are known as triggers, which can induce flareups. Frequently-cited triggers include excess ultraviolet light, spicy foods, beverages with alcohol, and temperature extremes (i.e. too hot or too cold).
We also emphasize daily skin care, including regularly applying gentle skin cleansers, broad-spectrum sunscreen with minimum SPF of 30, and skin moisturizers. Management of rosacea symptoms involve a multipronged approach and continued vigilance.
If you or a loved one suffers from the embarrassment and discomfort of rosacea, call the experts at Maine Laser Skin Care for free consultation. We have 2 convenient offices in Augusta at (207) 873-2158, and in Scarborough at (207) 303-0125.