A Look at the Many Rosacea Treatment Options Available to Improve the Appearance of Your Skin
Rosacea is a frustrating skin condition that can flare-up at any time. There are many triggers that cause rosacea flare-ups, and this condition doesn’t have a single cure. However, there are several treatments available to reduce the symptoms and appearance of rosacea—from skin creams to laser treatment. Speak with your doctor about the best treatments for you and to learn more about your specific flare-up triggers.
The following are common rosacea treatment options for various types of rosacea.
Limit Triggers
The first part of treating rosacea is to reduce its triggers. There are many triggers that cause rosacea flare-ups—from foods and drinks to activities and emotions. To narrow down your specific triggers, keep notes on your day-to-day activities. You may find that you get flare-ups after eating spicy food, exercising, or even during specific types of weather. While many triggers are hard to avoid, it’s important to know what they are so you can minimize the occurrence of rosacea flare-ups whenever possible.
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe oral medications and skin creams to treat papulopustular rosacea. This type of rosacea includes facial flushing, red lines on the cheeks, and tiny pimples. While these options can also treat other types of rosacea, they may not be as effective.
Prescription Creams & Gels
Your doctor may prescribe a skin cream or gel to apply to your face on a daily basis. If these creams and gels don’t work on their own, your doctor may prescribe a combination of treatment options, such as a skin cream and antibiotic pills.
Antibiotics
If the facial creams and gels alone don’t work to effectively treat your rosacea, or you have a type that requires an alternative treatment—such as ocular rosacea (in the eyes)—your doctor may prescribe antibiotic pills. Although rosacea isn’t a form of bacteria, the antibiotics help reduce inflammation and pimples.
Other Medicine
For ocular rosacea, use liquid tears to treat dry eyes and seek treatment from your eye doctor. For rosacea that doesn’t respond to prescription creams and antibiotics, your doctor may prescribe a stronger medicine. However, there is one treatment option that doesn’t have any of the side effects that are common with prescription medications.
Laser Treatment
Laser treatment is an effective and non-invasive treatment option for reducing the appearance of rosacea on your skin. There are no side effects or down time needed for recovery, so you can get on with your day right after your treatment.
With laser treatments, the laser stimulates collagen growth, resulting in smoother skin, while also treating and shrinking dilated blood vessels and pimples. The results are reduced redness, even skin tone, and clearer, smoother, acne-free skin.
These rosacea treatment options will take several months or treatments to get the desired results. For laser treatment, you may need several appointments depending on the type of rosacea you have. In the meantime, if you are embarrassed by the appearance of your skin, talk to your doctor and ask for makeup recommendations that won’t worsen the symptoms. While there is no permanent cure for rosacea, you can significantly reduce the symptoms with these effective treatment options.