I have been attending many conferences lately and as well as being involved with the injectables I have taken the opportunity to listen to dermatology updates on what is new.  One of the areas of interest to me has been rosacea.  It is very common among my patients.

Did you know that often the first sign of rosacea is ‘sensitive skin?’  Many patients have reported to me that most skin care products they have tried have irritated their skin.

Often they are so frustrated they are not willing to go on with or try new home skin care.   We now understand more about the biology behind this condition.  There is a problem with a certain receptor in the skin so that the skin barrier is faulty.   This receptor also activates inflammation.  Our first line of treatment now is to repair that barrier and reduce the inflammation in the skin.  Some very gentle intense skin treatments can help as well as specific home skin care that we can start you on targeted to repairing the skin barrier.

As rosacea progresses, capillaries dilate in the skin and it can become more flushed and red.  This is where vascular lasers come in to treat those dilated vessels and reduce the overall redness.   For the reactive flushing, there is a cream that can help but is on prescription and I can assess to see if you are suitable.  The skin inflammation and dryness is addressed with home care and in clinic treatments.

Some rosacea are associated with acne lesions especially in middle-aged women, as the immune messaging system can be affected and we  treat these as well.
Occasionally rosacea can be associated with thickening of the skin and the eyes can be involved too.  Unfortunately, there is no one off ‘cure’ for rosacea.  Like many skin conditions, it is one of treating and managing the symptoms as they occur and working on prevention strategies.   However with our greater understanding of the underlying condition targeted treatments are giving good results.

At CRC Geelong, we treat many patients each week for rosacea and we’ve seen some great results from effective treatment.  If you would like to make an appointment with our dermal team to properly assess your condition, and start you on the most appropriate treatment program call the clinic on (03) 5221 9920, or send an SMS to 0428 462 299.