Rosacea is a chronic skin condition, for which there is no known cure. It can affect both men and women, and commonly appears at some point after a person hits thirty. Often the first sign of rosacea is an embarrassing tendency to blush often. Over time, this flush becomes more persistent until the complexion looks permanently ‘rosy’. In severe cases, rosacea can cause problems in the eyes as well as a thickening of the skin on the nose.
While it can’t be cured, some of the symptoms of rosacea can be controlled. The first line of defence should always be the avoidance of factors that trigger the rosacea in the first place. They could include spicy foods and alcohol, extremes of temperature and harsh environmental conditions.
The redness can be tackled using IPL therapy: intense pulses of light are applied to the skin, causing the dilated vessels to collapse and disintegrate. This treatment cannot prevent new vessels from appearing, but it can effectively remove those that are there, thus reducing any redness.
Surgery can help to reduce the appearance of noses made bulbous by the skin condition, but anyone with symptoms of severe rosacea should always consult their doctor.
