What is rosacea?
Rosacea is a common long-term skin condition that mainly affects the face. It often begins with episodes of flushing. Over time, other symptoms develop. These include permanent redness, particularly on the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin, visible small blood vessels in the skin and spots and bumps in the skin.
Rosacea can also cause uncomfortable burning and stinging sensations.
Rosacea can be a significant problem for sufferers. Because the symptoms are visible and hard to hide, it can cause feelings of embarrassment and low self-esteem, and you may feel very self-conscious.
Although there is no cure for rosacea, there is plenty that can be done to help reduce outbreaks and improve the appearance of your skin. And the sooner you seek treatment the better: early diagnosis can help prevent the condition from worsening.
First step: work out your triggers
Avoiding triggers is a good place to start. What triggers an outbreak of rosacea varies from person to person, but common culprits include:
- hot or cold weather
- exposure to sunlight
- hot drinks, alcohol and caffeine
- stress
- some foods, for example spicy foods
- strenuous exercise
- Desmodex mites (a normal inhabitant of human skin, but they have been found in greater numbers in rosacea patients)
Identifying your triggers can help you to regain some control. And it goes without saying that you should always wear a good SPF product. This is true for everyone, rosacea sufferers or not!
There is a limit however to how much you can avoid hot or cold weather – and you may decide that you don’t want to stop taking part in strenuous exercise, or give up all caffeinated drinks.
The good news is that there are other things that can help too.
Second step: skincare treatments
I have developed my own treatment approach for dealing with rosacea, the Dr. Mayoni Rosacea Protocol. This uses a combination of topical skincare products alongside a course of phototherapy, over a period of five to six weeks.
I use metronidazole gel (to tackle the Desmodex mites) and Obagi skin care products to cleanse, tone and hydrate the skin, and protect it from the sun. A course of Dermalux phototherapy complements these topical products, tackling bacteria and encouraging rejuvenation. A follow-up treatment of topical Vitamin A can also be helpful, stimulating skin repair at a cellular level.
I have honed this approach over my years in practice and have seen some wonderful results.
Our Vein Away treatment can also be effective in treating the appearance of rosacea.
How do I find out more?
If you would like to find out more about how I can help, just contact us at The Clinic to book in for a full consultation with me. At your consultation I will fully assess your skin, and you can ask any questions you may have about the treatment, and the results you can expect. Remember: while rosacea is not curable, it is controllable. There is no need to put up with your symptoms any longer.
Other resources
The NHS has a useful page on rosacea, which you can find here: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Rosacea/Pages/Introduction.aspx
You may also want to visit the National Rosacea Association website – an American-based charity with lots of useful information and advice: https://www.rosacea.org/index.php. They also have an interesting piece on the possible role of Desmodex mites in rosacea: https://www.rosacea.org/patients/demodex
To find out more about our Dermalux phototherapy treatments and how Vitamin A helps the skin, please click on the links below:
