Rosacea Treatment  

Before beginning any rosacea treatment, a healthy lifestyle is necessary to be adopted. Clean your face without any aggression, with warm water and a mild non irritating soap. Wipe your face afterwards with a cotton towel without rubbing it. You can use make up, but avoid fatty or irritating skin products such as cosmetic products containing alcohol, acids, oil or/and mint. Avoid unnecessary physical effort. Also avoid stress which is a major aggravating factor of rosacea. If necessary, talk to your dermatologist or physician for more information. 

It is important to avoid all factors that can worsen the symptoms of the disease such as prolonged sun exposure. The ultraviolet of the sun alters the blood vessel wall and its thermic effect trigger or worsen the symptoms of rosacea. If you must expose yourself to the sun, use sunscreen index of 20 or more. Protect yourself also from hot and cold temperature, humidity and wind. Avoid as much as possible hot drinks and foods, alcoholic beverages and hot spices. 

Rosacea is a chronic disease; there is no curative treatment to definitively stop it. There are, nevertheless, drugs to control its evolution, and prevent its damaging effects on your face. These drugs can improve the appearance of the skin; however, it often takes several weeks to see results. The more severe the disease is the more difficult is the treatment. Therefore, it is important to consult a dermatologist quickly in the early development of the disease. Otherwise, rosacea may worsen and cause permanent damage on your face. 

However, rosacea pregnancy-related needs no treatment, it usually goes away by itself a few months after childbirth. A rosacea related to facial surgery can significantly diminish with time. It is therefore advisable to wait six months after surgery before starting treatment. Rosacea that affects infants and young children may also be neglected. It disappears by itself over time as the child's skin becomes thicker.  

Drug Therapy  

Antibiotics : If rosacea is caused by bacteria, antibiotic creams, especially those of the metronidazole family (antibiotic medications used particularly for anaerobic bacteria and protozoa ) may be prescribed. Oral antibiotics (tetracycline and others) may be prescribed, often with success, but their prolonged use is not recommended. When skin lesions are present, doctor may prescribe topical antibiotic medications (Metrogel® and others). Those antibiotics work by killing the bacteria that contribute to inflammation. 

Isotretinoin (Accutane, Sotret, Claravis, Amnesteem…): Accutane ® is sometimes used to treat rosacea. This medicine must be prescribed in cases of severe rosacea. It is important during treatment to see your doctor regularly, because Accutane is powerful drug that can cause serious side effects in some patients. In addition, Accutane is contraindicated for pregnant women or those trying to become pregnant, as it increases the risk of birth defects. 

Accutane is sold under different name: Amnesteem, Claravis, Decutan, Istane, Sotret, Ratane, Raccutane, and Isotretinoin (its generic name). If you have already taken the drug, and become victim of its adverse effects, you can take legal action. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Surgical Therapy 

Rosacea can leave scars in your face that requires cosmetic surgery. Some symptoms of rosacea have such as telangiectasia (small red lines caused by dilated blood vessels) and rhinophyma can require surgery to improve your appearance. Some surgeries performed in the treatment of rosacea include: 

Electrocoagulation : this therapeutic procedure consists of using electrical energy to cut tissue and coagulate blood vessels. It is an effective technique; however, it may require several treatments and has various disadvantages: light bleeding, redness and the formation of small scabs-like lesions in the days that follow. In addition, there is a risk of scarring or permanent discoloration of the skin. Electrocoagulation is not recommended during the summer to prevent formation of brown spots. 

Laser surgery : this laser treatment allows to devascularizing (interruption of circulation of blood to a part of your skin) an area of your skin for some years, 2-3 years most often. However, the treatment may cause some temporary bruising or reddening (making or becoming red) . In addition, the therapy must be repeated regularly, and it remains relatively expensive. Nevertheless, laser surgery is more effective and less painful than the electrocoagulation; it generally leaves less scarring.

Dermabrasion: this is a surgical procedure performed to smoothen the skin and remove small scars. It consists of removing the outer layer of the skin using a small brush that rapidly rotates. After the intervention, the skin tends to be red and raw-looking; it takes several months for the skin to be normal. 

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