What Rosacea Actually Is, It’s Symptoms, and Effective Treatments

Rosacea is a skin problem that affects millions of people, triggering redness and rough skin patches. It causes redness of the face, neck, chest, and even the eyes. Rosacea leaves the skin extremely tender and susceptible to additional redness. So much so that even face washing, for example, needs to be done with care utilizing a non-soap cleanser, no scrubbing. The heat of the shower, the heat of the hair dryer, the hurrying around, the cold wind on the cheeks can trigger the face-flushing or blushing related to Rosacea.
Think it’s an odd, unknown skin problem not typically experienced? Think again. A short (very brief) list of famous people with Rosacea includes: Cameron Diaz, former president Bill Clinton, both Prince William and mom Princess Diana, 1930’s comedian W.C. Fields, to name just a couple.
Clinically speaking, Rosacea is an excess of melanosomes, which are melanin pigmentation “granules” present in the skin’s pigment cells (Melanocytes). Rosacea patients’ bodies over-utilize tyrosinase, the real enzyme responsible for melanin production. So Rosacea could be seen as a two-fold problem: 1) an absence of breakdown of melanosomes and 2) overlay active tyrosinase leading to excess melanin production.
A few truths, common symptoms, and pre-conditions to Rosacea.
– Symptoms often begin as being quickly “flushed in the face” or “blushing” with ease.
– Left untreated, nose, cheeks, and other areas of the face slowly darken with noticeable blood vessels and soreness.
– Symptoms usually, not always, but often begin around age 35 to 50.
– Although occasionally seen in people with darker skin, Rosacea is most common in fair skinned, blonde haired, and blue eyed people.
– Over use of skin products, excess direct sun exposure, and especially stress are common triggering events of Rosacea.
– Although drinking is often associated with Rosacea, it is not a cause of the condition.
Effective Rosacea Treatments
To start with, if you believe you could have Rosacea or you are sure you have it but aren’t really doing anything to treat it, the watchwords need to be: First, do no damage! Second, treat it! Rosacea leaves the skin extremely tender and susceptible to additional redness, sensitivity, and irritation. If left untreated, Rosacea can become a condition called rhinophyma: the familiar bulbous, misshapen, large nose, such as that of W.C. Fields.
Get Rosacea under control and under the guidance of a skin specialist. They will likely recommend an oral antibiotic in conjunction with a topical cream. The Rosacea cream suggested most by dermatologists and physicians, the one considered the best for Rosacea, is hydroquinone. As the primary ingredient found in numerous skin care products used to lighten or correct skin discoloration attributable to age spots, dark spots, freckles, acne marks, etc, it turns out to also work well for Rosacea. And, mercifully, the less expensive, non prescription strength hydroquinone 2% works the best for Rosacea. Recall that the two-fold Rosacea cause is 1) an absence of breakdown of melanosomes and 2) overlay active tyrosinase? Hydroquinone cream solves them both by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase which, in turn, enhances the breakdown of melanosomes.
From a practical perspective, Rosacea patients must minimize direct exposure to the sun. And especially while treating with a hydroquinone based skin lightening cream, eliminate sun direct exposure to the treated area entirely. This is critically important but really rather easy to accomplish with a good broad spectrum, SPF 30 sunscreen, hat, gloves, and other protective clothes.
So, even though fun in the hot sun, on the beach, or at the swimming pool is pretty much out of the question, getting Rosacea under control is essential and really do-able. Don’t suffer. Don’t neglect it. Don’t let it become something way worse.