Rosacea

As April is Rosacea Awareness Month, we thought we would share some insight and tips on how to avoid triggers and manage rosacea at home during this time.

Dr Niki Ralph says: "Rosacea is a common, chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting the face. It affects one in ten Irish adults, with onset in their 30's and 40's. It is known as the 'curse of the Celts,' as fair skinned, blue eyed people are more likely to suffer with it, and it's characterised by redness of the face (broken blood capillaries), nose, chin and forehead, with or without pustules or papules (whiteheads or red spots). It may also be associated with dry, gritty eyes.

Triggers include UV exposure, hot and spicy food or drink, rapid change in environmental temperature (such as a hot room, shower, exercise) as well as topical steroids and benzoyl peroxide, which may be more suitable for Acne-prone skin. Avoid using harsh products which contain alcohol, glycolic acid, salicyclic acid and take care using retinoids if you are prone to Rosacea flare-ups. Retinoids may be introduced slowly once the skin is more settled on treatment.

In terms of a daily skincare routine to try to manage your Rosacea, wash your face with oil-free products daily. Apply prescription, topical therapies, if you have them, each morning or evening to clean, dry skin. Using a daily physical, Zinc-based SPF is vital. Our favourties are Elta MD Clear and Revision Intellishade Truphysical.

Redness and broken capillaries of the face have a big impact on patients' quality of life, especially for men who don't always have the luxury of covering it with make-up. We have found Photo-rejuvenation with IPL (Intense pulse light) to be one of the most effective, non-surgical and simple treatments to treat redness and broken veins. Our M22 Lumenis is a lunchtime procedure with minimal downtime.

For patients with inflammatory flares of red bumps and whiteheads (papules and pustules), medical treatment by your GP or Dermatologists with topical or oral antibiotics, or low dose Isotretinoin is often necessary.

Please do get in touch with us if you would like to book a consultation with one of our Consultant Dermatologists.