Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease, which affects 14 million Americans and is also known as acne rosacea. It mostly affects middle aged people. Signs of rosacea are facial redness, visible damaged blood vessels on the nose and cheeks, bumps and pimples. The name of acne rosacea is not quite suitable because there do not appear blackheads or whiteheads on the skin like in acne. If rosacea affects men, their nose becomes red and enlarged, besides de changes of the cheek skin.



The flare-up of rosacea generally begins with the skin's flushing on the cheeks and nose. There is no cure for rosacea but there is treatment and methods of hiding the redness of the skin.

There are factors that aggravate the disease: the sun can over-dry the skin that is why people with rosacea must apply a moisturizer with a sunscreen of a minimum SPF15 in the summer and even in the winter.

Using cleansers that contain oil or menthol, eucalyptus, salicylic acid and fragrance will only harm the skin's natural balance. Patients must use oil-free, soap-free and fragrance-free cleansers, which will act gently upon the skin. Taking care of the skin must be done twice a day: in the morning and before bedtime, so that all the dust and dirt will be removed from the face and the skin will be able to regenerate.

You can use make up, but the products must be light and oil-free. Using make-up is only for hiding the redness of the skin caused by rosacea, and does not substitute the treatment indicated by the doctor.

Using brushes or rough towels for rubbing the skin is not recommended. Also, people must wash their face with lukewarm water; drink a lot of water and avoid using after-shaves and blade razors because their skin is very dry.

For protecting their skin people are recommended to use only natural fiber clothes, like cotton or silk, because they do not cause so much irritation when getting into contact with the face skin.

If you observe papules and pustules on your face skin, accompanied by redness you should go to the dermatologist for a check up. He will recommend you an oral antibiotic drug maybe tetracycline for pustules, and a topic cream containing antibiotic such as Metronidazole to help reduce the redness of the skin.

The treatment with antibiotic drugs is recommended not to be followed for a long period of time because it weakens our immune system and most of all, it will develop the multiple drug resistance and the bacteria will not respond to treatment any more.