Understand Your Options when Treating Rosacea

Overall Goals and Expectations for Treatment:

Typically, when talking about treatments, patients think of the goal as simple: a cure. In living with chronic conditions like rosacea, it's important that patients understand that lifestyle modification and treatment go hand in hand. At this time, there is no established cure for rosacea. This means that the emphasis of treatment shifts from that of seeking a permanent cure to that of alleviating symptoms, and to make living with rosacea easier. Similarly, it means that your lifestyle choices should also take into account rosacea symptoms.

Expectations

Rosacea is a chronic condition. There is no established cure for rosacea, at least at the time of this writing. Have realistic expectations from your treatment, and establish what you want out of your treatment.

Identify what triggers your Rosacea

Triggers are factors that cause rosacea symptoms to quickly worsen. Several common triggers have been identified, such as sun exposure, consuming alcohol, or eating hot or spicy foods. If you are unaware of your own triggers, try to recall activities that preceded a flare-up-a sudden worsening of symptoms.

Symptom Management

Treatments generally control symptoms and make them tolerable. An effective treatment plan might reduce flushing or minimize pimples.

Maintenance

Treatments also help you maintain your everyday life. It prevents or makes flare-ups less likely or less severe.

Adjust your lifestyle

Rosacea symptoms vary from person to person. It is not just the symptoms that vary, but the severity, as well as how the symptoms affect the person. There is no uniform answer as to how a person should adjust their lifestyle. Some people will take more steps than others to minimize rosacea symptoms while for others may not wish to make any significant lifestyle modifications.

Avoid common aggravating factors:

• Sun exposure
• Hot or spicy foods, and alcohol
• Vigorous exercise (especially in a hot environment)
• Certain medications, especially those that expand blood vessels
• Certain cosmetic products (greasy cosmetics, fragrances)

Skincare and Bathing:

• Avoid bathing in hot water-use tepid or lukewarm water instead
• Toners, exfoliants, and astringents may worsen rosacea symptoms
• Skincare products that are designed for those with sensitive skin are less likely to cause unwanted reactions

Cover-ups:

• Cover-up cosmetics can effectively hide redness and flushing
• Acne-like symptoms are common in certain types of rosacea and cover-up products are very good at covering up pimples
• Products like Roscaure® can help reduce redness

Patient support:

• Rosacea affects people in different ways
• People react differently to similar symptoms
• Rosacea is a common condition, and there are many support groups both online and offline to help you cope with, and advise you

Medical Treatment:

• Generally treatments begin with topical therapy
• For moderate or severe rosacea, oral treatments will often be used either on its own or in conjunction with topical therapy