Rosacea is a common skin condition, similar to acne, that affects adults. While it is chronic and incurable, it can still be managed by using proper skin care products such as SkinMedica’s Redness Relief CalmPlex.
Rosacea Signs and Symptoms
Usually, rosacea affects the area of the face around the nose, causing sporadic flaring and remissions in the central third of the person’s face. However, the condition can also spread onto the other parts of the face and beyond the nose. As such, the redness can appear on the forehead and chin, even on the chest and back.
Rosacea is easily recognizable by the following signs and symptoms:
• Face redness
• Small red pimples, as well as fine red lines (called telangiectasias) on the skin of the face
• An enlarged, swollen and red nose (rhinophyma).
• Swollen and red eyelids, rosacea keratitis, conjunctivitis or other eye problems
What Causes Rosacea?
Dermatologists are still not entirely sure what causes rosacea, but they managed to narrow the possible “culprits” to the following few:
1. Heredity
Rosacea sometimes runs in the family and the condition can be inherited through genes.
2. Immune system
Tests on people with rosacea have showed that they tend to react to certain bacteria (bacillus oleronius), which causes their immune system to overreact.
3. Cathelicidin
Cathelicidin is a protein that normally is responsible for protecting the skin from infections. However, if the body fails to process it correctly, it can cause rosacea.
4. H pylori
This bug is common in people with rosacea, but scientists cannot prove that it causes it. In addition, H pylori infection can also affect people who do not have rosacea.
5. Demodex
Studies have shown that a lot of people with rosacea have large numbers of a mite called demodex on their skin. However, some people without rosacea also have significant numbers of demodex mite on their skin as well.
How is Rosacea Treated?
Although rosacea is not curable, it can be treated using medicine applied directly to the area affected by rosacea. In addition, lasers and other light skin treatments, such as electrocautery (treating skin by sending electric current to it) are also an effective way for a person to manage rosacea.
It is also important to wear sunscreen every day in order to prevent flare-ups, repair the skin with an emollient and, if necessary, use antibiotics.
