Rosy cheeks are cute on the likes of Shirley Temple and other four-year-olds, but a little less charming on adults, and especially when those rosy cheeks don’t go away no matter what you do. Rosacea, the acne-like chronic inflammation of the cheeks, is a common skin condition shared by about 16 million other Americans and is resistant to many traditional treatments for calming inflammation of the skin. At Timeless Laser and Skin Care in Westlake, OH, we know all the latest treatments for Rosacea and the winning combination that will reduce your redness in a snap.
How Do You Clear Up Rosacea?
When we talk about this skin condition, it’s important that we first start by underlining how there isn’t any known cure for the condition. The best anyone can manage for this skin condition is to keep it cleared up and under control. The goal of managing this condition is to keep skin at an even tone and even texture, with no further inflammation or irritation.
So, how do you clear it up? You turn to advanced technology, such as laser energy cosmetic treatments, to zap the rosacea clear. At our clinic, the best trio of laser energy treatments for this skin condition includes LaserGenesis, LimeLight, and Laser Vascular Therapy.
LaserGenesis
LaserGenesis is a versatile, non-ablative, and non-invasive laser treatment that is commonly used to treat a variety of superficial skin concerns, including dark spots, acne scarring, uneven skin tone and texture, fine lines, wrinkles, large pores, and even broken blood vessels that characterize this skin condition.
The gentle heat of the near-infrared laser seeps beneath the surface layers of skin to stimulate the production of collagen, encourage broken capillaries to heal, and turn over new skin cells to break up scar tissue. This treatment is particularly useful in reducing superficial skin redness and inflammation.
LimeLight
LimeLight is an intense pulse light (IPL) laser treatment that combines the power of gentle heat with the healing ability of light exposure. LimeLight is often used for the treatment of spider veins on the face, as well as sun damage, dark spots, redness, and other hyperpigmentation caused by inflammation.
Like LaserGenesis, LimeLight is a non-ablative laser treatment that is ideal in reducing the superficial skin redness and irritation that characterizes this skin condition and is especially useful in collapsing visible spider veins on the face.
Laser Vascular Therapy
Laser Vascular Therapy is a specialized type of laser therapy that specifically targets damage to the vascular system that is visible beneath the skin, most notably broken capillaries, spider veins, and other abnormal veins. Laser Vascular Therapy is special because it can treat abnormal veins without damaging the surrounding tissue, making this a powerful spot treatment for more stubborn veins.
Do You Need All Three Treatments?
Whether you need one treatment or a combination of the three to treat your skin condition depends on the severity of your case and how well you respond to the first type of treatment you try.
It’s sometimes the case that only LaserGenesis or LimeLight is necessary to deal with the worst of the skin redness and irritation of this skin condition. But it’s also sometimes true that neither of those laser treatments is powerful enough to deal with certain abnormal veins. The decision on which treatment or treatments are best suited to getting your skin cleared up will be made between you and Dr. Christain.
How Soon Can You See Results?
Generally speaking, laser treatments do require some time to work and reach their full potential. Laser treatments are used to resurface the skin from the inside, which means you will have to wait for your natural cell turnover cycle to complete itself in order to achieve the results you want. And the more severe the condition of your skin, the longer it will take to attain your desired results. Most laser treatments require at least 3 to 6 months to reach optimal results.
For LaserGenesis, you can begin seeing improvements in the tone and condition of your skin as soon as 2 weeks after your first treatment, with the peak of the results being noticeable after three months. For LimeLight IPL laser treatments, you can expect results to take at least 3 to 4 months to become noticeable. For Laser Vascular Therapy, you may see results in as little as 2 to 3 months.
How Long Will Results Last?
Laser treatments typically only produce temporary results. Remember that treatment for this skin condition is about managing the symptoms, not finding a cure. And because most skin conditions require constant oversight, you can expect that your results will last only for as long as the benefits of the laser and light exposure are still cycling through the sub-dermal layers.
The results of LaserGenesis are expected to last for at least 6 to 12 months, while the results for LimeLight should last for about 5 to 6 months at a time. Laser Vascular Therapy, on the other hand, maybe capable of removing visible vessels in the face for a much longer time, sometimes as long as more than 1 year.
11 Common Questions About Rosacea
Even if you have this skin condition, there’s still plenty more to learn about it. For example, many patients want to know if the skin condition is caused by something they’ve done, or if there’s anything they can do to control flare-ups. Because we believe in patient education at Timeless Laser and Skin Care, we’ve gathered the most common questions about this skin condition to bust up the myths surrounding rosacea. The top questions include:
1. What Is It?
This is a common skin condition that is characterized by redness and inflammation of the skin, visibly broken blood vessels beneath the skin surface, and acne-like pustules and bumps beneath the inflammation. This skin condition can occur on any area of the face, but it’s more commonly seen on areas such as the:
- Bridge of the nose
- Top of the cheeks
- Forehead
- Chin
Although they appear similar, this skin condition is not the same as acne. Acne includes the presence of enlarged pores, blackheads, and whiteheads; this skin condition, on the other hand, does not include blackheads or whiteheads. One of the complications in diagnosing this skin condition is the fact that it can present as acne due to the acne-like pustules and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. However, an expert eye will be able to identify the tell-tale broken capillaries on the skin.
2. What Are the Common Symptoms
The most common symptoms of this skin condition are the visibly broken blood vessels, usually small red streak-like marks on the skin, as well as the swollen, red bumps on the areas of the skin where inflammation is the worst. However, this skin condition has other symptoms, including:
- Dry, itchy eyes
- Skin dryness
- Overly oily skin
- Rashes
- Skin puffiness
- Skin itching
- Easily-red face or prone to blushing
This skin condition is most commonly found in adult fair-skinned people, usually women who are at least 40. However, this skin condition can be found in many other people, and it’s important to not rule the condition out until you have seen a skin specialist for a formal diagnosis.
3. What Are the Causes of This Condition?
Dermatologists and other skin experts aren’t sure what causes this skin condition, as there doesn’t seem to be any link to poor hygiene or chemical exposure. People with this skin condition simply have it, sometimes with no rhyme or reason.
However, recent studies have emerged with the theory that this skin condition may be caused by either genetics or environmental factors, or some combination of both.
Genetics
Your genes determine everything about how your body functions, including how prone your blood vessels are to dilating with more blood and how close those vessels are to the surface of your skin. You may be able to tell if your skin condition is caused by genetics if you notice how easily your skin turns red, either from exposure to the sun, spicy foods, alcohol, or embarrassment.
Environment
Environmental factors are the factors that are within your control, such as how roughly you treat your skin, how often you are exposed to direct sunlight without protection, how much alcohol and spicy food you consume, and more. Each of these are common factors that are thought to contribute to the cause of this skin condition.
4. Is Prevention Possible?
If the possible cause of your skin condition is genetics, then there’s very little chance of you ever being able to fully prevent a flare-up. However, you can try to alter your environmental factors to try to control flare-ups.
5. Does It Go Away by Itself?
In fact, left untreated, this skin condition can become worse and cause permanent damage to your skin.
6. Are Your Skincare Products a Cause?
It could be possible that your skincare products are causing your already-sensitive skin to be even more sensitive. It’s best to cleanse with mild soap and tepid water and to also avoid scrubbing or exfoliating skin in order to avoid a flare-up.
7. Is This Condition Only Limited to Your Face?
It’s a common misconception that this condition only appears on the face, but it may also affect the eyes, the neck, the chest, and the upper back, as well. If your condition has spread beyond your face, then seeking treatment sooner rather than later is the smart thing to do.
8. Do Antibiotics Help?
Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to people with this skin condition in order to try and control the inflammation and manage flare-ups. Antibiotic creams and oral medications may help reduce the severity of a flare-up, but antibiotics are not a cure, and it’s best not to use antibiotics regularly or they may become less potent as your body builds up a tolerance.
9. Will You Need to Change Your Diet?
If you have identified that environmental factors, such as the food you eat, are the cause of your flare-ups, then you may want to change your diet. Eating a diet low in sodium and spice may be the best way to avoid inflammation. You may also want to alter your alcohol intake.
Are You a Candidate for Treatment?
Candidates for treatment include any adult patient who would like to gain control over their flare-ups, reduce inflammation, and prevent further damage to the skin. You may be a good candidate for the treatment of this condition if you have any of the common symptoms of rosacea or you are unable to manage the symptoms by yourself.
Clear Up Your Rosacea Today!
You don’t have to live with the rosy cheeks, broken vessels, and painful red bumps that characterize this skin condition. It’s easy to get a handle on your skin inflammation and clear up rosacea with the right laser treatments. Contact Timeless Laser and Skin Care in Westlake, OH to set up your consultation appointment today.