Treatment Options for Acne Rosacea

An Inflammatory Skin Condition

Acne rosacea is a type of inflammatory skin condition which is categorized by extreme redness of the facial skin, particularly around the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. This redness by itself is a condition known as rosacea, and manifests commonly among middle aged caucasians. The pain caused by rosacea is comparable to that of a sunburn. Acne rosacea occurs when a person who is suffering from rosacea also develops a sudden outbreak of facial acne.

In most faces, the acne outbreak is severe, and while the pimples remain generally small, they are much greater in number than a normal case of teenage acne. The tenderness of the skin combined with the large number of pimples can lead to heavy facial scarring that leaves the face looking pock marked or burned, depending on the severity. Thankfully, there are several treatments available for people who suffer acne rosacea, and most of them have proven effective in one way or another.

Laser Surgery

This is by far the most effective yet expensive treatment for acne rosacea. It uses laser surgery to essentially give the patient a facial make over, peel, and face lift. Aside from the cost, this treatment method also requires post surgery treatment with several medications to help the facial skin recover and heal properly. Despite these two factors, it gives the least risk of facial scarring and has the highest chance of treating acne rosacea quickly and effectively.

Rosacea Relief Medications

There are several brands of medication designed to treat mild cases of acne rosacea. Often, these brands offer different forms of relief to the problem. These medications also help alleviate the symptoms that often accompany rosacea, like swollen eye ducts, puffy noses, and hyper sensitivity to sunlight.

Sidebar: Next in this series on acne types is acne inflammatory vulgaris.

Aside from controlling the additional symptoms, the basic rosacea problem is also treated by the medication. Unlike regular acne, antibiotics don't help rosacea much, as the outbreaks of acne are not exactly pus-filled. The growths may look like pimples, but they are more akin to overdeveloped rashes on the skin.

Facial Scrubs and Washes

These are more commonly applied to regular cases of acne, but there are actually special versions that are geared towards helping people with acne rosacea. The facial scrubs and washes all have different, specialized effects.

One example is that regular sun screen actually worsens rosacea, and this makes leads to a problem because people who suffer from rosacea develop sensitivity to sunlight. Exposure to it can actually worsen the problem, so special sun blocking creams designed to work with people who have rosacea have been developed.

Another example is that regular facial scrubs don't affect the acne problem for people with rosacea because their pimples are slightly chemically different from normal acne, so facial scrubs designed with chemicals to combat the pimples of acne rosacea become necessary.