Rosacea – Bella Rosa

By Patrick Hsu

Rosacea is a skin problem that causes people to flush easily and develop redness, pimples, and thread veins on their cheeks, nose and forehead. It often starts in the second or third decade of life, and women are more often affected than men. It is common, affecting perhaps 10% of adults.

Given that rosacea affects the face, it can affect confidence and self-esteem. The unpredictable flushes can be mistaken for too much drinking. Many people with rosacea find the rash on their face causes them embarrassment and anxiety.

Flare-ups of rosacea are caused by triggers that stimulate the blood vessels in the face to dilate, which causes facial flushing. Common triggers are sun, exercise, hot weather, emotional stress, spicy foods, alcohol, and hot baths.

The exact cause of rosacea is unknown, however, many people with this skin condition have a family history of rosacea. One theory is that it may be the result of highly reactive blood vessels, as well as, inflammation and infection. Given that rosacea causes increased warmth in the skin, bacteria might be encouraged to grow, causing the pimples and bumps. Tiny mites (Demodex folliculorum) that normally live on our skin may also play a role. People who have rosacea have more of these mites on their faces than those who don’t have the disease.

There may be some relationship between rosacea and Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which causes an infection in the gastrointestinal tract, although studies are conflicting. It is unclear whether treatment for this bacterium improves the symptoms of rosacea.

Rosacea is not caused by alcohol or poor hygiene, as was once believed. However, alcohol is considered one of the triggers for facial flushing and can cause symptoms to get worse.

Some people stay well by avoiding triggers of flushing such as certain foods and beverages, sunlight and certain cosmetics. The active flare-ups when spots break out are best treated with antibiotic lotions to rub on or as tablets to swallow. The better active flare-ups are controlled, the fewer thread veins are left behind. Laser therapy is used to help the remaining redness and broken veins.

Advanced Fluorescent Technology (AFT) Skin Rejuvenation treatment has become a solution for many individuals battling rosacea. The treatment helps control rosacea facial flushing and in many cases, reduces the patient’s need for topical cortisone creams and antibiotics.

Bella Rosa uses the Harmony™ system, which works by exposing the afflicted skin to a series of AFT light treatments. This technology allows blood vessels in the rosacea lesions to be selectively heated and destroyed without damaging surrounding, healthy tissue. Once the vessel or lesion is impaired, the body begins its natural healing process.

The number of treatments will depend on the outcome that the patient desires, but a series of five treatments varying from 15 to 45 minutes usually gives patients optimal results. Treatments may be as frequent as every three weeks, and follow-up treatments may be desired to maintain results.

Side effects from AFT treatments are infrequent. Immediately following treatment, the skin may appear flushed, and in rare instances, temporary swelling and/or blistering can occur. To greatly minimize the risk of complications, patients should limit sun exposure for several weeks before and after treatment.

With this system, the Director of Spa Services has the ability to treat multiple or larger lesions more rapidly compared to other technologies. AFT treatments can also be used on all skin types including tanned skin.