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What Is Rosacea?
 Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder affecting up
to 1 million Canadians. The most common symptoms
are patchy flushing (redness) and inflammation, It
mainly affects the cheeks, nose, forehead, and around
the mouth. Rosacea typically affects more women than
men and appears between the ages of 30 and 50. Rosacea
may be mistaken at first for sunburn, because the
symptoms emerge slowly and might lead to a delay
in treatment.
As the condition progresses, redness becomes more
persistent and noticeable and in some cases stinging
and burning sensation might be noticed in the affected
areas. Small, red, solid bumps (called papules) and
pus-filled pimples (called pustules) may appear on
the skin. Because these appear similar to acne, rosacea
is sometimes called acne rosacea or adult acne. However,
unlike acne, there are no blackheads.
Small, dilated blood vessels (telangiectasia) may
become visible, too. Often when people with rosacea
blush, the enlarged blood vessels in their faces
look like thin red lines. In almost 50% of the cases,
rosacea might involve eyes and causes them to become
red, irritated, and may burn (ocular rosacea).
What Causes It?
There is no certain cause for rosacea, some of researchers
have suggested certain factors that might develop
it:
• A disorder of the blood vessels that causes them
to swell, leading to flushing
• A genetic predisposition combined with certain environmental
factors that may irritate the skin
• Clogging of the sebaceous gland openings with skin
mites called Demodex folliculorum, which live in
facial-hair follicles
Rosacea seems to affect fair-skinned people more
often, though it can affect any skin type. Often
several people in a family have the condition, so
researchers think it may be at least partly genetic.
Other factors that may be involved include vitamin-B
deficiency, local infection, hydrochloric-acid (stomach
acid) deficiency, infection with Helicobacter pylori,
and digestive disorders. In some cases, rosacea may
be associated with migraine headache, other skin
disorders, and certain eye disorders, including blepharitis
and keratitis.
How Do We Treat Rosacea?
The traditional way of treating Rosacea is with
the use of oral medications, creams, and gels. However,
these modalities require long term use and usually
give partial correction. The latest approach is the
use of non-ablative (noninvasive) laser technique.
This exciting new treatment have revolutionized the
way we treat Rosacea. For the first time ever the
level of satisfaction with Rosacea relief is where
the patient wants it to be. The majority of patients
undergoing Laser Rosacea Treatment are satisfied
with two to three treatments. The sessions are 15
minutes each and are performed on an outpatient basis.
Patients can go back to work the same day.
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