An estimated 16 million Americans are effected by rosacea according to the National Rosacea Society. They have great resources at www.rosacea.org for people who want to learn more about rosacea. Rosacea has four subtypes including redness, papules and pustules (pimples), skin thickening and ocular (in the eyes). Even though we can not cure rosacea we can control its symptoms. Similar to the nature of high blood pressure you can take a pill to make your blood pressure normal but it isn’t cured because if you stop your medicine the symptoms return. There are lots of options and I recommend you make an appointment with your dermatologist to hear what would suit you best. Here are some of the exciting options we have at JD changing the game in Rosacea.

1. Pulsed dye laser- works well for redness, broken blood vessels and “pimples”. We recommend 3-5 monthly treatments for semi-permanent results. You will likely need a “touch-up” treatment about once/year. Feels like a rubber band popping you. Not painless but not a big deal. In my opinion it’s one of the least painful lasers with powerful results.
2. SkinMedica HA5: This isn’t an FDA approved treatment for rosacea or anything but it’s the cream of choice for Dr.Sandy on her own Rosacea. It’s ability to pull water into the top layer of your skin(epidermis) helps rebuild the irritated, red skin of rosacea. Bonus is that it treats fine lines and wrinkles making it a no brainer for women who are more commonly affected by Rosacea.
3. Clinical trials: We have another Rosacea study starting up in April so if you are interested e-mail study@johnsondermatology.com. I don’t know the details of this particular study for Rosacea patients yet but hopefully I will very soon. Clinical trials are a great way to make the world a better place in science. Getc one of the newest treatments out there and get healthcare for free. That’s a win-win-win!
4. On the horizon is the newest FDA approved topical for rosacea called Rhofade. It’s a competitor to Mirvaso that claims to be better about rebound redness. These are both prescription creams you put on in the morning that treat redness. For those of you that could not tolerate Mirvaso then Rhofade should be available to prescribe very soon. If you haven’t tried Mirvaso or didn’t know there was a cream for redness come see one of us at JD or ask your derm. This is one of my husbands life changing creams that he uses for his redness.

These are some new and innovative ways we treat rosacea. Although the tried and trues are still available and I use them in our practice daily the new stuff is just exciting. That’s the great thing about science in medicine, we keep learning new ways to improve our patients outcomes. If you or someone you know suffers with symptoms that might be Rosacea then April is a great month to recognize that and seek advice for your skin health. Your skin is your largest organ, it deserves health maintenance too.

Make sure you follow Johnson Dermatology on Facebook, twitter, Instagram and snapchat as we celebrate Rosacea awareness month with education and specials!

Roses are red, Violets are blue, if you have Rosacea we want to help you!

See you this exciting month at the clinic, Nina

Share