When Choosing a Rosacea Treatment, Don’t Overlook These Important Facts

November 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Diseases, Conditions and Treatments 

As with so many other conditions, there are many different rosacea treatments to choose from, from prescription medications to numerous over-the-counter treatments. Since rosacea is a chronic condition for which no cure exists as of yet, the condition has to be treated on a daily basis to keep symptoms under control. This is why it is essential to pick a rosacea treatment that you will feel comfortable with putting on your skin on a daily basis. This article will describe what to look for in a rosacea treatment and what ingredients you may want to avoid.

Rosacea is a skin condition that progresses in several phases. The early stages of rosacea frequently go unnoticed in many sufferers as the early signs of red, blotchy skin and prolonged flushing are usually not causing enough discomfort for most people to see a dermatologist. However, when the disease progresses and the skin becomes more inflamed, itchy and pus-filled pustules and papules begin to emerge on the skin, many rosacea sufferers will take the first step to see a doctor about their skin condition.

Prescription-based Rosacea Treatments
A prescription-based rosacea treatment is frequently chosen by your dermatologist. The antibiotics contained in such prescriptions are aimed at lowering the level of inflammation in the skin. Often, an oral tetracycline regimen is prescribed in addition to the topical treatment. Tetracycline should never be used for prolonged periods since it can turn teeth yellow and cause undesired gastrointestinal problems. Depending on how dry the skin is, either a creme with an antibiotic such as azelaic acid is prescribed or a topical gel with metronidazole.

Herbal-based Rosacea Treatments
Due to the chronic nature of rosacea, many patients ultimately worry about the long-term side effects of their rosacea treatment. While all rosacea medications on the market today have been thoroughly tested in clinical trials for effectiveness and safety, not enough data is available about the long-term health effects of chronically using such medications. For example, metronidazole has been reported to cause cancer in rats. For these reasons, many rosacea sufferers ultimately start looking for alternative treatments.

Natural rosacea treatments have been available for at least 10 years now. Many of those treatments contain a blend of herbal extracts, which work synergistically to reduce the inflammation and often contain herbs that act as a natural anti-histamine. A high quality rosacea treatment will decrease facial flushing by reducing the widening of the small blood vessels just underneath the skin and will have a soothing effect on the skin.

Preservatives should also be considered when looking for a rosacea treatment. Because the topical rosacea treatment will be applied to your face every day for many years, consider the safety of preservatives that are used in the rosacea product. Parabens for example, have been shown to have some negative effects on people’s health due to the resemblance to estrogen.

Even when you have picked the best possible rosacea treatment based on the available information, there is always the possibility that it will not give the results that were expected. People react differently to various treatments, in particular to natural treatments, so it may take some time of trial-and-error to find the right rosacea treatment.

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