By Stacie Isler, PA-C |
Best Treatments For Rosacea
How To Safely Reduce Your Chronic Symptoms
Rosacea can be a challenging condition to manage, but with the right treatments and lifestyle adjustments, it is possible to achieve significant improvements in skin appearance and comfort. Our experts have compiled the best treatments for rosacea to minimize your symptoms while elevating your skin health and quality of life.
But First: What Is Rosacea & What Can Cause It?
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition characterized by facial redness, visible blood vessels and sometimes acne-like bumps. It primarily affects the central part of the face, including the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. At the biological level, rosacea involves inflammation and dysfunction of the blood vessels in the skin, leading to the characteristic redness and visible blood vessels.
The exact cause of rosacea is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Keeping a record of your symptoms while working various treatments, products and lifestyle changes into your daily routine can help you determine the root cause of your unique case.
Effective Treatments For Rosacea
The following are our rosacea treatment recommendations, with the most involved and focused at the top and the simplest and most accessible at the bottom:
Microneedling
Microneedling involves using fine needles to create micro-injuries in the skin, stimulating the body’s natural healing process. This treatment promotes collagen and elastin production, which can help improve the skin’s texture and reduce the appearance of redness and visible blood vessels.
Often combined with PRP for greater results and faster healing, microneedling can be customized to address the specific needs of patients, curating a refined and enhanced skin appearance beyond just the symptoms of rosacea.
Broadband Light (BBL) Laser Treatments
Broadband Light Laser treatments use intense pulsed light to target and reduce the redness and visible blood vessels associated with rosacea. This treatment works by delivering controlled light energy to the affected areas, which is absorbed by the blood vessels and causes them to constrict, reducing their appearance.
BBL is a non-invasive procedure with minimal downtime, making it a convenient option for many patients. The results are long-lasting, and regular sessions can help maintain the refined appearance of the skin.
MOXI Laser Treatments
With a rapid rise in popularity, MOXI laser treatments address a variety of skin concerns, including fine lines, wrinkles, melasma and, most noticeably, rosacea. This advanced laser technology delivers fractionated laser energy to target water in the cell, successfully promoting collagen production and improving the overall texture and tone without damaging the skin.
MOXI effectively reduces the redness and inflammation associated with rosacea. The treatment is gentle and suitable for all skin types, with an iterative approach that allows for gradual and significant improvements over time.
Botox for Rosacea
Most commonly known for its use in reducing wrinkles, Botox can also be leveraged as a treatment for rosacea. When injected into specific areas of the face, Botox relaxes the blood vessels and inhibits mast cell degranulation to reduce flushing and redness. The results are long-lasting, with noticeable and compounding cosmetic improvements if patients remain dedicated to a consistent regimen.
Certain Chemical Peels
Chemical peels involve the application of a chemical solution to the skin, which exfoliates the outer layers and promotes cell turnover. Certain chemical peel formulations can gently address the symptoms of rosacea, reducing redness while also improving texture, tone and clarity.
Specialized Facials
Rosacea facials provide a calming and restorative solution for those individuals who experience redness, irritation and dryness. Complete with exfoliation and a soothing infusion of vitamins, antioxidants and natural growth factors, these facials can enhance the skin’s resilience and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.
Medical-Grade Skincare
Medical-grade skincare products are formulated with higher concentrations of active ingredients than over-the-counter products. These products can help manage rosacea symptoms by reducing redness, inflammation and visible blood vessels. Ingredients such as niacinamide, azelaic acid and ceramides are often used to treat rosacea, providing symptom relief and significant improvements in skin health.
Credentialed medical aestheticians can curate a specialized skincare regimen tailored to the needs of rosacea-prone skin using a sustainable routine.
Lifestyle Changes
What we do and what we eat play a crucial role in managing rosacea symptoms. Identifying and avoiding triggers, such as spicy foods, alcohol and extreme temperatures, can help reduce flare-ups. Incorporating sun protection into your daily routine, managing stress and maintaining a healthy diet can also significantly improve rosacea symptoms.
These proactive interventions — combined with medical treatments — create a comprehensive approach to achieving optimal skin health. Some individuals may struggle with pinpointing which foods and ingredients are causing their symptoms. For these patients, we highly recommend working with a registered functional medicine dietician to get the complete picture of your health.
About The Author
Stacie Isler, PA-C serves as the Patient Care Director at Donaldson Plastic Surgery, specializing in a variety of aesthetic procedures, including effective rosacea treatments in Columbus, Ohio. When not working directly with patients, Stacie is dedicated to researching new treatment options and methods to best serve individuals with both cosmetic and functional concerns. She takes a scientific approach to her services, helping each patient better understand their own body on a biological level and achieve their aesthetic goals.
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