Rosacea/Redness

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rosacea

What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a VERY common skin disorder that is a variant of acne in adults. It only shows up in your 20’s or later, but typically in your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. It affects men and women, and typically more fair-skinned, white patients. However, we’ve seen it in patients of every ethnicity and race. There are 4 different components of rosacea:

  • Redness and broken blood vessels
  • Flushing and blushing
  • Pimples
  • Rhinophyma (oil gland growth on the nose).

Everyone with rosacea has redness with or without additional symptoms. You may experience episodic flushing and blushing when redness gets worse at times. It tends to be temporary and associated with a burning, hot or irritated sensation. The pimples that you may get in rosacea are just like those that you get in regular acne, usually without blackheads, whiteheads or deep cysts. The last potential complication of rosacea is a rare lumpy enlargement of the nose, rhinophyma, that must be treated with surgery or laser surgery.

To learn which rosacea treatment may be right for you, schedule an appointment with Steele Dermatology online or give us a call at (770) 464-6000.

What causes rosacea?

We don’t know exactly what causes rosacea, but if you get to a certain age, most likely you’ll get some degree of rosacea. It may not bother you, especially if it’s just a little redness and you don’t have other symptoms. For others, it’s really bothersome either due to the appearance or because of symptoms of burning or irritation.

Highly emotional states, extreme weather conditions (cold, heat, wind, sun), spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and exercise can cause flushing and blushing – so it can really interfere with daily activities, and treatment is required.

Where do you get rosacea?

Rosacea, by definition, occurs exclusively on the face. Redness usually appears mostly on the cheeks and chin and may be seen with tiny broken blood vessels in the skin.

Sometimes you may have sun-damaged skin on other areas of the body, like the chest and neck. It may also appear red but doesn’t generally act in the same way as rosacea. If one has redness or flushing everywhere or everywhere on the face then it may be something else.  

How do we treat rosacea?

The treatment we prescribe will depend on the type and cause of your rash and the severity of your symptoms. Generally, treatments include topical creams, ointments, sprays or lotions to soothe and treat the skin, and sometimes oral pills for more extensive conditions or especially if an infection is involved.

If your dermatologist is unclear about the rash, a biopsy may be necessary to diagnose it. Usually, we will start some sort of treatment even without the biopsy results to make sure that your symptoms improve while we wait for the final results. We can update your treatment regimen as needed when biopsy results are received.

Excel 5 Laser

Laser Redness and Vascular Treatment – Excel V

An aggressive laser treatment specifically targeting redness and broken/enlarged blood vessels. This treatment will give you very impressive and long-lasting results from only a few treatments.

Laser Genesis Skin Toning

Laser Skin Toning – Laser Genesis

A safe and effective laser treatment to help even skin tone/color and texture for all skin types. A no downtime, “lunchtime” laser treatment that will address redness over the course of several treatments.

Recommended products

Schedule an Appointment

With offices conveniently located in Atlanta and Alpharetta, Steele Dermatology offers expert rosacea treatments and skincare regimens for our patients. To learn which treatment may be right for you, schedule an appointment or give us a call at (770) 464-6000.

New Location Alert
Our former Buckhead office on Pharr Rd. has relocated to a stunning new facility at:
2716 Piedmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30305
Make an Appointment
New Location Alert
Our former Buckhead office on Pharr Rd. has relocated to a stunning new facility at:
2716 Piedmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30305
Make an Appointment
Our old Buckhead office on Pharr Rd., has moved to a beautiful new facility located at: 2716 Piedmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30305
New Buckhead Location!
Contact Us
New Buckhead Location!
Our old Buckhead office on Pharr Rd., has moved to beautiful new facility located at: 2716 Piedmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30305
Contact Us