501 Orchard Rd, #05-15 Wheelock Place (Located in Nuffield Specialists),238880.
SKIN
Rosacea is a chronic common skin condition where you experience persistent redness from noticeable blood vessels on the face. This is due to excessive concentration of some compounds like amino acids and collagenase which trigger a chain reaction and dilate blood vessels to leak and cause swelling and inflammation in the dermis.
There are different types of rosacea. These include:
Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea is known for its persistent redness on the skin. Small blood vessels beneath the skin surface dilate and become apparent. These symptoms often flare up and then disappear. If there is no form of treatment done, the redness may worsen, cover more skin on the face, and become permanent.
Phymatous rosacea causes the skin to thicken and scar, making it bumpy, swollen, and in some cases, discoloured. Although rare, this type of rosacea often affects the nose, resulting in the bulbous nose, or rhinophyma. These happen more in males than females.
Ocular rosacea affects the eyes, making them look watery or bloodshot which is usually accompanied by a burning sensation in your eyes. Your eyes become dry and sensitive with ocular rosacea, resulting in cysts to form on the eyelids.
Papulopustular rosacea is characterized as “whitehead” pustules, which are red, pus-filled blemishes with swollen bumps. These bumps usually appear on the cheeks, chin and forehead. Due to the whitehead pus, they are frequently mistaken for acne. You may also experience facial redness and flushing with this type of rosacea. Although they look alike, rosacea and acne are extremely different from their symptoms to their triggers.
| Definition | Who? | Symptoms | Location | Common Triggers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosacea | Irritated skin from visible blood vessels on the face | Women of lighter skin complexions Typically middle-aged |
| Typically in the centre of the face (cheek, nose, forehead, chin) | Unknown cause but are worsened with:
|
| Acne | Identified with open or closed comedones Hair follicles become clogged with dead skin and oils resulting in inflammation. | Commonly happens to teenagers but also happens to adults. | No comedones present | Anywhere on the face, chest and back |
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Since rosacea is a long term condition, it can never be cured but can be controlled to reduce the signs and symptoms. Symptoms of rosacea may flare up for weeks to months, go away for a while and return after weeks. Symptoms worsen with excessive sunlight and spicy foods so it is important to know the cause of the flare-up and reduce these factors.
Typically, topical steroids or oral antibiotics are prescribed to produce an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin to reduce the redness by constricting blood vessels. However, for severe cases of rosacea, you may need to get treatment to control the redness. At Nuffield Therapeutics, we recommend our Intense Pulse Light (IPL) treatment to reduce the inflammation on the skin and prevent future outbursts. To read more about our treatment, click here.