Treatments Can Reduce Signs of Redness, Rosacea

Redness and rosacea are troubling skin disorders. But there
are new options for smoothing your complexion.

The causes

Redness in the skin is often caused by acne, broken
capillaries, sunburn, stress or diet, or the result of a cosmetic
procedure such as a facial or chemical peel. It is the body's way of
sending a message that it is fighting inflammation and irritation from
within.

Rosacea's cause remains a mystery and we have yet to find a
cure, but medical help can provide relief from the symptoms.

Affecting more than 14 million Americans, this skin condition
manifests as redness of the face and is sometimes accompanied by
acne-like symptoms.

Traditional treatment options

Women traditionally soothe the redness in their skin with
over-the-counter skin care products or camouflage it with green-tinted
makeup.

Many dermatologists find that starting with over-the-counter
lotions containing sodium sulfacetamide might be helpful for treating
symptoms of rosacea, although patients with hypersensitivity to sulfa
antibiotics and women who are pregnant or nursing should not try this.

Depending on symptoms, a dermatologist can also recommend a
myriad of prescription treatment options, ranging from retinoids and
azelaic acid gels to oral and topical antibiotics.

Newer, low-dose oral tetracycline antibiotics and long-acting
doxycyline and metacycline antibiotics are other ways to get your skin
out of the red zone by alleviating inflammation. It might be covered by
insurance, depending on your provider and plan.

Light treatment

New light-based treatments -- such as intense pulsed light and
GentleWaves -- are effective for reducing persistent redness. They
eliminate flushing because the specific light spectrums in intense
pulsed light, pulsed-dye and diode treatments can attack and neutralize
the redness of the vessels associated with rosacea.

Light-based treatments are becoming the top rosacea treatment
option because they are generally downtime-free, though medications
might need to be continued to manage symptoms and sustain remission.

When undergoing this treatment, you'll feel a snap and
possibly heat. The vessels will darken, or look like a bruise, before
fading away, but this can be covered with makeup.

Intense pulsed light is generally recommended in a series of
three treatments spaced six weeks apart, with maintenance treatments
every few months to sustain results. Starting at about $200 a
treatment, it might be covered by insurance.

Reach Paige Herman and Marie Kuechel, editors of New
Beauty magazine, at editors@newbeauty.com.

Source: The Augusta
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