It is common for teenagers to suffer from acne, but in most cases they will grow out of it in time.Disturbing memories of acne in their teenage years are brought sharply into focus for many adults if they start suffering from acne rosacea.
So what is acne rosacea?
What to we mean by acne rosacea?Whilst appearing to be acne, acne rosacea is actually a distinctly different skin condition.Common symptoms of rosacea include facial skin that has red or pink patches.Eyes could appear irritated and underneath the skin surface small blood vessels will be visible.On the skin itself there will be some, usually tender to touch, highly visible, small red bumps. It’s also not unusual for the skin to have a number of red cysts develop as well.These cysts are usually painful when touched and can very easily become irritated.
For mild cases of rosacea, it's possible that by keeping the face clean and as much as possible, free of bacteria, no other treatment will be required. Cases that are more severe or that are resistant to such mild treatment may require a stronger approach using one of the many acne rosacea treatment medicines now available in the marketplace.
What options are available for the treatment of acne rosacea?
A variety of different acne rosacea treatments exist, available as either an over the counter medication or a prescription treatment.In the majority of cases, your doctor will quite quickly prescribe another, more powerful type of acne rosacea treatment if your usual, over the counter treatment isn't working as well as you would want.
Your doctor may recommend some of the following types of acne rosacea treatments:
Topical antibiotic cream - Any number of topical antibiotic creams have proven to be effective against rosacea, including metronidazole, erythromycin, clindamycin, and azelaic acid.Using a combination of antibiotics each day has seen an improvement in some patients.
Antibiotic pills - An oral antibiotic pill can be considered both a simple and normally effective acne rosacea treatment.Popular medicines include tetracycline, amoxicillin, doxycycline, and minocycline.
Light therapy - This is one of the latest breakthroughs in acne rosacea treatment, and is proving quite effective for some patients.The most common types of light therapy are lasers and intense light pulses. These techniques normally require a series of treatments with a three to six week break between appointments.
How to choose the correct acne rosacea treatment
How do you go about deciding on the correct acne rosacea treatment?Answering that question depends on two main things, how severe is your rosacea and honestly, how much does it bother you. Many people with mild cases hardly even notice the condition, and for them the best acne rosacea treatment is simply to keep their skin clean using a mild face wash.
If your rosacea is more severe then your best approach is to visit with your doctor or dermatologist for a professional evaluation. Based on this evaluation, he or she will recommend an appropriate treatment regimen for you to begin.Hopefully that initial treatment will be successful, but if not, you will be able to switch treatments until your rosacea is brought under control.
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