Rosacea is also referred to as “adult acne” with redness and swelling on the face. Becoming worse without proper treatment, rosacea can first appear as the tendency to blush easily and later progress into small red bumps and enlarged blood vessels on the face. The condition is most commonly found in people with fair skin and is more common in women than men. While the cause of rosacea is still unknown, there are ways to treat it and prevent it from getting worse. Treatment includes the avoidance of facial products that cause irritation and avoidance of known triggers such as hot drinks and spicy foods. It is also important to maintain good sun protection while outdoors and exercising in a cool area. Treatment options often include gels and creams or oral antibiotics. In more severe cases, laser surgery may be an option.

There are a number of symptoms of rosacea ranging from mild to more severe:

Redness – looks like a blush or sunburn. It’s caused by flushing when blood vessels expand just under the skin. Over time, as this continues to happen, the redness becomes more noticeable and does not go away.

Pimples – as a result of the continual flushing, the skin becomes irritated and pimples may appear on the central face. These pimples may be small and red or pus-filled bumps and resemble “teenage acne”.

Enlarged Blood Vessels – Telangiectasias are dilated blood vessels just under the surface of the skin. They appear as thin wavy lines or red spots mainly concentrated on the nose, cheeks and chin.

Enlarged Bumpy Nose – Rhinophyma is present in more advanced stages of rosacea and is less common than the other signs and symptoms of rosacea. It is more common in men and appears as bumps on a swollen red nose.

Rosacea usually affects people in their mid-20s all the way up to people in their 80s. There is a family history to rosacea as well. Call for an appointment with Dr. Isaac to first get on a good skin care program, prescription therapies and to learn more about laser therapies to reduce the signs and symptoms of rosacea.

Please call for a consult 202-393-SKIN (7546) or visit www.rosacea.org.