<\/p>\n
If you have rosacea, you\u2019ve probably already tried more than a few things to turn things around. A cream that worked for a while. One that made it worse. Maybe an acne face wash that left your skin burning. The good news: Today\u2019s treatments are far more specific, from customized prescription creams to vascular lasers and daily sun protection. <\/p>\n
Ahead, 10 dermatologists weigh in on what\u2019s actually working for their rosacea patients right now, from the compounded creams they reach for first to the everyday habits that make or break results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Rosacea gets mistaken for acne constantly, but Studio City, CA dermatologist Gene Rubinstein, MD, points to one reliable tell. \u201cMost people misunderstand all the various ways rosacea may manifest, including redness and flushing, pustules, papules or bumps, and deeper nodules or cysts may all be seen,\u201d he explains. \u201cInterestingly, no actual whiteheads and blackheads, or comedones, are seen. This helps differentiate acne from rosacea clinically.\u201d<\/p>\n
It also spans more skin types than many people realize. \u201cSo for one, I have rosacea even though I’m a far East Asian,\u201d says Ashburn, VA dermatologist Stephanie Daniel, MD. Another overlooked symptom, she notes, is eye irritation: \u201cMy patients are often surprised a skin visit yielded benefit to their troublesome eye symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n
For rosacea treatment, dermatologists may prescribe a compounded \u201ctriple cream,\u201d which blends several active ingredients into one formula.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve really moved away from relying on traditional treatments like long-term oral antibiotics,\u201d says Colorado Springs, CO dermatologist Victoria Moss, MD. Instead, she often turns to a triple cream: \u201cA combination of metronidazole, azelaic acid and ivermectin can be incredibly effective\u2014definitely one of my favorite approaches for the right patient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt simplifies the routine and can often be less expensive than using multiple brand-name prescriptions,\u201d says Cliffside Park, NJ dermatologist Jason Chouake, MD.<\/p>\n
\u201cRosacea isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all,\u201d says Newport Beach, CA dermatologist Jennifer Channual, MD. \u201cFor patients with inflammatory bumps and breakouts, I like a compounded triple rosacea cream containing ivermectin, azelaic acid and metronidazole. For patients whose main concern is persistent redness and flushing, I like compounded formulations combining oxymetazoline, ivermectin and niacinamide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bloomfield Hills, MI dermatologist Rohit Kakar, MD, also stresses customization. \u201cMany times these topicals need to be adjusted to maximize their results. The base that is utilized also matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Creams can calm inflammation, but they can\u2019t erase a visible blood vessel. \u201cFor persistent redness and visible blood vessels, nothing compares to vascular laser treatments,\u201d Dr. Chouake says. \u201cThey allow us to directly target the abnormal blood vessels that cause the redness.\u201d<\/p>\n
The right laser depends on the rosacea type and whether the redness is diffuse or concentrated in visible vessels. Pulsed dye lasers and IPL are common options.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe often use lasers to treat the blood vessels, including V-beam or vascular laser, and IPL or BBL,\u201d says Dr. Rubinstein. \u201cI use a combination approach, with V-beam and IPL, to achieve the best results. We almost always combine these lasers with medical treatment for optimal results.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austin, TX dermatologist David Bushore, MD, uses two devices at different stages. \u201cCutera ExcelV+ laser has worked very well for my patients with persistent redness and visible vessels. Once a patient has done one of these treatments, we can use BBL HERO to help maintain results with less discomfort and downtime.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome patients\u2019 rosacea is caused by microscopic skin mites called Demodex, and they don’t even know it!\u201d says Huntington Beach, CA dermatologist David Rayhan, MD. \u201cSoolantra is an FDA-approved cream for treatment of this type of rosacea. Also, IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatment can kill the demodex while also removing redness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSunscreen is the single most important step a rosacea patient can take daily,\u201d says Fort Lauderdale, FL dermatologist Dr. Matthew Elias.<\/p>\n
The type matters. \u201cNot all sunscreens are good for rosacea: the physical sunscreens decrease temperature on the skin, but chemical sunscreens can flare rosacea due to a reaction that creates heat on the skin surface,\u201d says Dr. Rubinstein. \u201cSo go for sunscreens containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.\u201d Mineral sunscreens also tend to be well tolerated by sensitive skin.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there isn\u2019t avid sun protection, any reversal will be lost and vessels will continue to dilate,\u201d Dr. Daniel says. \u201cThis means clothing protection and sunscreen with reapplications throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The usual rosacea triggers are real. \u201cThere are known factors that can worsen rosacea, including hot foods, spicy foods, alcohol (especially red wine), caffeine, and heavy exercise, especially aerobic,\u201d says Dr. Rubinstein. \u201cHot yoga, unsurprisingly, can be a trigger. Other factors are sun, wind, cold weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
But that doesn\u2019t mean cutting out everything. \u201cRather than eliminating everything, I recommend identifying your own reproducible triggers and avoiding the foods that consistently cause your rosacea to flare,\u201d Dr. Moss says.<\/p>\n
Your products count as triggers, too. \u201cBe cautious with products that cause trauma to the skin, such as excessive exfoliation,\u201d says Dr. Rubinstein. \u201cRetinols may cause flares if rosacea is untreated. Harsh washes meant for acne can be problematic as well. Over-the-counter products should not contain fragrances or excessive oils. I usually recommend gentle cleansers and oil-free lotions, with hyaluronic acid moisturizers for excessively dry skin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Daniel\u2019s advice for protecting the skin barrier is simple: \u201cBeing gentle with all your products is essential. Minimalism is a good thing here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish patients would reach out and get treatment sooner than later,\u201d says Prospect, KY dermatologist Tami Cassis, MD. \u201cFollowing a TikTok recommendation just never works. We can manage rosacea so well these days it\u2019s worth a trip to the dermatologist.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you have rosacea, you\u2019ve probably already tried more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3057"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}