Best Skin Cures Acne-inc
Treatment
There is no cure for rosacea, but alternative and complementary treatments can be helpful in reducing the skin irritation and number of outbreaks associated with the disease. Green-tinted makeup can mask the redness associated with rosacea. Because rosacea may cause psychological distress, psychotherapy or support groups can be an important component of treatment.
Patients should avoid using skin care products that contain alcohol, witch hazel, peppermint, menthol, eucalyptus oil, or clove oil. Skin care products should be fragrance-free and have a smooth, non-grainy consistency. Men can shave with an electric razor to lessen skin irritation on the face.
Persons who are treated for rosacea with antibiotics over a long period are more prone to yeast infections. Long-term antibiotic use can decrease normal bacteria populations and increase the number of yeast. Eating a yeast-free diet (eliminating breads and other yeast products and sugars) can help to restore normal bacteria to the body.
Identifying food triggers
Certain foods are known to trigger an outbreak of rosacea. Although individual triggers vary, the following foods may aggravate rosacea: hot spices (pepper, paprika, and cayenne), marinated meat, soy sauce, vanilla, vinegar, red plums, peas, lima and navy beans, sharp cheeses, cider, Asian food dishes, canned fish products, processed beef and pork, chocolate, tomatoes, citrus fruit, alcohol, and hot beverages. Nitrates, sulfites, and certain drugs can also trigger outbreaks. Food allergies can also cause rosacea. The three foods that most often cause food allergies are wheat products, sugar, and dairy products.
Rosacea patients should keep a food diary to identify the specific foods that trigger rosacea outbreaks. Outbreaks can occur hours–or as long as a day–after the offending food has been eaten. The patient should stop eating a suspect food for a few months to observe the severity of the rosacea symptoms. If the rosacea improves, the patient can then eat a small amount of the offending food to confirm whether it triggers an outbreak. Once a rosacea trigger food is identified, it can be eliminated from the patient’s diet.
Other treatments
Applying liquid-filled cold packs, a washcloth soaked in ice-cold water, or a compress of cold milk and ice-cold water to the neck and face can relieve flushing. Sucking on ice chips can also help relieve flushing. A cold compress of chamomile tea can soothe irritated skin. Applying ice to the face may feel good but it can cause frostbite, which would worsen the reddening.
Some practitioners advocate gentle circular massage for several minutes daily to the nose, cheeks, and forehead. However, controlled studies on the effectiveness of this technique are lacking.
A deficiency of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach may be a cause of rosacea, and supplementation with HCl capsules (taken after meals) may bring relief in some cases.
Hypnosis may reduce stress, promote healthful behavior, and control bad habits. Hypnotherapy is especially useful in treating skin disease that can be triggered by emotions, including rosacea. As a complementary therapy, hypnosis has been shown to improve rosacea, especially the flushing component.
Nutritionists recommend eating more dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, asparagus, and spinach. These foods, and others that contain high levels of vitamins A and C, bioflavonoids, and beta-carotene, can improve rosacea by increasing capillary strength and boosting the immune system. Apple juice and dark grape juice drunk at room temperature between meals can help persons with rosacea.
A deficiency of B-complex vitamins can lead to rosacea. Vitamin E’s antioxidant properties can help prevent skin damage. Zinc can speed wound healing. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid deficiencies can lead to dry, irritated skin, which can worsen rosacea. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in flaxseed oil, cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, and herring. Omega-6 fatty acid is found in evening primrose oil.
Allopathic treatment
The mainstay of treatment for rosacea is oral antibiotics. These appear to work by reducing inflammation in the small blood vessels and structure of the skin, not by destroying bacteria that are present. One of the more widely used oral antibiotics is tetracycline. In many patients, antibiotics are effective against the papules and pustules that can appear on the face. But antibiotics appear to be less effective against the background redness, and they have no effect on telangiectasia. Patients frequently take a relatively high dose of antibiotics until their symptoms are controlled, and then they slowly reduce their daily dose to a level that just keeps their symptoms in check. Other oral antibiotics used include erythromycin and minocycline.
Some patients are concerned about long-term use of oral antibiotics. For them, a topical agent applied directly to the face may be tried in addition to an oral antibiotic or in its place. Topical antibiotics are also useful for controlling the papules and pustules of rosacea, but do not control the redness, flushing, and telangiectasias. The newest of these topical agents is metronidazole gel, which can be applied twice daily.
Vitamin A derivatives called retinoids also appear useful in the treatment of rosacea. An oral retinoid called isotretinoin, which is used in severe cases of acne, reduces the pustules and papules in severe cases of rosacea that do not respond to antibiotics. Isotretinoin must be taken with care, particularly in women of childbearing age, because the drug is known to cause birth defects.
Topical vitamin A compounds may have a role in the treatment of rosacea. Accumulating evidence suggests that topical isotretinoin and topical azelaic acid can reduce the redness and pimples.
For later stages of the disorder, a surgical procedure may be needed to improve the appearance of the skin. To remove the telangiectasias, a dermatologist may use an electrocautery device to apply an electrical current to the blood vessel. This procedure cuts off the blood to the blood vessel, effectively destroying it and eliminating its appearance as a red line. Special lasers, called tunable dye lasers, can selectively destroy these tiny blood vessels. A variety of surgical techniques can be used to improve the shape and appearance of a bulbous nose. Surgeons may use a scalpel or laser to remove excess tissue from the nose and restore a more natural appearance.
Add comment September 7th, 2006
