Rosacea Treatment

The Rosacea Diet

Though not clearly understood,  there is growing evidence of a link between gut bacteria and rosacea. This has led to the development of the rosacea diet, which considers the role of a fibre-rich prebiotic food in gut microbiome health and settling systemic inflammation and skin conditions.  The diet is based on eliminating triggers and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. Our Naturopath has a specific interest in nutrition, diet and treatment of inflammatory skin conditions.

Medical Treatment of Rosacea.

Medical treatment of rosacea focuses on prescription topical creams, prescription oral antibiotics and medicines that impact vessel reaction. We are an integrative cosmetic medicine clinic, so we advocate adopting a naturopathic and gut healing approach to all aesthetic skin conditions as the first port of call.

Prescription Creams and Medications to settle Rosacea.

• Recommended Creams for Rosacea Treatment
• Creams to reduce inflammation and flare-ups: Use gentle cleansers such as Cetaphil.
• Rozex, BHA or Azelaic acid.

Recommended Prescription Medications :

• Antibiotics can help reduce the inflammation of rosacea.
• Topical metronidazole.
• In the case of ocular rosacea, referral to an ophthalmologist is essential.

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is caused by chronic skin inflammation and results in an overactive vascular response to specific triggers.  Though the cause is not understood,  the gene variations that underlie a predisposition to rosacea have been identified.  These gene variations are responsible for disrupting the innate immune system in people with rosacea, leading to an abnormal release of inflammatory cytokines in response to various triggers. It is also understood that diet and gut microbiome impacts their presentation. 

• It affects mainly fair-skinned people – occurring in up to 15% of some European populations. 
• It affects the central face region, specifically the cheeks, chin and prominent forehead.
• In the early stages, it appears with recurrent flare-ups that trigger factors can precipitate.
• Left untreated, rosacea progresses with chronic dilation of capillaries,  increased surface capillaries, development of sterile papules and pustules (acne rosacea) and swelling of skin tissue (phyma).

The main symptoms are facial redness with tiny visible capillaries,  easily flushed and sensitive skin. Other variations include acne rosacea, which presents with papules and pustules; rhinophyma causes enlarging of the nose and ocular rosacea, presenting with redness and swelling eyelids eyes.

The  4 Subtypes of Rosacea:

• Subtype 1.  Presents with facial redness, flushing and visible facial capillaries.
• Subtype 2. Called acne rosacea because it presents with papules and pustules that look like acne. Acne rosacea affects women more commonly.
• Subtype 3.  Rosacea of the nose, known as Rhinophyma, presents with thickening of the nose skin. This is rare and affects men more commonly.
• Subtype 4.  Ocular rosacea, where the symptoms occur in the eye area.

A Multi-Pronged Approach to Rosacea Treatment.

Rosacea treatment involves a multi-pronged approach to reduce skin inflammation, treat facial redness, and eliminate rosacea triggers that cause flushing. It is vital to reduce underlying skin inflammation to slow the progression of rosacea.

1. Reducing rosacea inflammation can be achieved with LED light therapy,  naturopath and dietary intervention, lifestyle intervention to reduce rosacea triggers. Topical and oral antibiotics also principally act via a decrease in inflammation (not through anti-bacterial action)
2. Treating facial redness: Laser and IPL for rosacea is well established to improve cosmetic appearance by reducing superficial capillaries.

Once there are fixed dilated surface vessels, laser or IPL treatment is the only option. However, early intervention to eliminate rosacea triggers and skin inflammation may prove invaluable to prevent the condition’s progression.