<p>Anyone else have this? Any good coping strategies? Nothing the dermatologist has prescribed has helped at all (and some made things worse). Now she says laser treatments would help, but I am skeptical . . .</p>
<p>Maybe you should get a second opinion. If it is pimples as well as redness, medications can work. If you have a lot of broken blood vessels, IPL (intense pulsed light) can help, but you usually have to go every few years for the other vessels that you are likely to get. Medication is unlikely to repair broken blood vessels.</p>
<p>Are you seeing a Board Certified Dermatologist certified by the American Board of Dermatology? I would look for these credentials in choosing a Dermatologist.</p>
<p>See another dermatologist, and don’t mention anything about previous diagnoses. See if the next one also diagnoses the same condition. I had redness on my cheeks near my nose that a dermatologist treated with steroids. Years later another dermatolgist diagnosed a chronic fungal infection, and it cleared up with antifungals.</p>
<p>I have a mild case of rosacea. For years – maybe 10 or so?? – I’ve used a product called MetroGel on my nose. It’s helped eliminate almost all pimples in that area, except for maybe one or two a year.</p>
<p>I also have some broken blood vessels on my cheeks and around my nose, but I’m having them treated with some laser therapy in a few weeks. The derm told me that eliminating them may take three to four treatments, so I’m not expecting miracles.</p>
<p>I understand that some rosacea can be completely cured with antibiotics, but mine is so mild and easily controlled that I haven’t wanted to do that.</p>
<p>Also a mild case. I don’t get pimples – it’s more like a slightly red flush, but not all the time. Dermatologist gave me several sample tubes of MetroGel, which seems to help some. She said I have a few broken blood vessels, which the MetroGel doesn’t help. I’ve gone back to using a moisturizer with sunblock, and will try to avoid the sun more at the beach. Things like red wine and coffee can aggravate rosacea, but I have my limits as to what I’ll give up!!!</p>
<p>I have had rosacea for many years - the beautiful peaches and cream complexion of my youth turned into flushing and broken capillaries. I have been lucky that I have never had the outbreaks associated with it so I have not had to go on antibiotics. I think the antibiotics just treat the inflammation. I don’t think there is a cure. I’m sure you know this, but it is very important to avoid extreme temps - cover face in the cold and have cool cloth handy when working out or in heat. Absolutely stay out of the sun and avoid alcohol. Spicy foods can trigger it as well as hot drinks. Many of the creams and cleansers that professionals have recommended to me have made it worse. The best moisturizer I have found is a cheap OTC lotion called Dermarest. It seems to calm my skin better than any of the expensive products I have tried. Good luck - it is a very frustrating condition that takes away my enjoyment of hot weather when my face always feels like it’s melting.</p>
<p>Years ago I had a problem with rosacea. I had a number of months of treatments including some painful local injections and various antibiotic creams. I gave up any hot spicy foods and my skin cleared up over a period of a few weeks. Take a look at your diet and see if any changes might help.</p>
<p>CBBBlinker, I’m with you - I will not give up red wine. Actually it isn’t really a trigger for me anyway, nor is spicy food, though direct sunlight is. I think different people have different triggers. </p>
<p>MetroGel and its cousin, MetroCream, do a great job of controlling outbreaks and the rough skin aspect, at least for me. It’s true that they can’t do anything about the broken capillaries. Anybody reading this who’s still in the childbearing game should be aware that they’re teratogens (class 4, I think?), though - don’t use them while you’re pregnant!</p>
<p>I do agree that it might be good for the OP to get a second opinion.</p>
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<p>I don’t know if someone with rosacea is a good candidate for laser treatment, but I recently had a series of laser treatments to get rid of broken capillaries on my face. It was easy and painless and I can’t believe that I didn’t do it sooner.</p>
<p>For outbreaks try popping a claritin once or twice a day til it clears-I got this from a rosacea forum and it has worked for me when I have a flare up.</p>
<p>I had roseaca for many years! Dermatologist treated it with five laser treatments. I have loved the results; redness is gone but my whole face looks a lot younger (smaller pores, tighter skin, don’t see the fine lines). Downsides were a) cost and b) I found it painful . This is despite having a very high pain tolerance (they said it’s hard to predict how individual’s react, some finding it not painful at all).</p>
<p>I also learned that a lot of things I was doing to my face make it worse. So I gave up any kind of abrasive scrub. Though have not been able to give up red wine or spicy food.</p>
<p>I’m eager to have my laser treatments in three more weeks. Expensive, but I’m hoping it’s worth it.</p>
<p>Please report back with your results. I am thinking of having the procedure done also.</p>
<p>The dermatologist gave me prescriptions for 2 creams–he said they may or may not work, and insurance may or may not cover them. I haven’t had the heart to try them yet.</p>
<p>He also said rosacea wasn’t so bad–I would never have to use blusher. ?
He’s supposed to be a good dermatologist but seems to be missing the point. I’m not going back to him.</p>
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<p>After having laser treatments to remove several broken capillaries, I’m going for another series of 5 to remove sun spots and help stimulate collagen. Getting rid of those nasty red lines was a wonderful thing and worth every penny.</p>
<p>I’ve had rosacea for a long time. It was much worse 10-12 years ago. I had an infection that had to be treated with antibiotics, and the rosacea cleared up with the course of antibiotics.</p>
<p>It has returned, but not as bad. Metrogel doesn’t seem to do much for mine.</p>
<p>I had laser treatments done 3 years ago (expensive) and the results were very good, but for me, not long term. I might go back because it worked so well.</p>
<p>I have rosacea, too, along with ocular rosacea. Anyone else have the dry, gritty eyes and, if so, what works for you?</p>
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<p>I’ve had rosacea for years as well. I finally broke down and went to the dermatologist and he told me he had good news and bad. The good news is that there are (basically) 2 kinds of rosacea - one looks like acne and I don’t have that. I have the kind where my skin is smooth but it looks like I have a red mask and I have lots of broken capillaries. The BAD news is that there is treatment (antibiotics, etc.) for the first kind of rosacea that insurance will cover but my kind can only be dealt with by lasers that insurance won’t pay for - they argue it’s cosmetic.</p>
<p>Because I moved to another state shortly after diagnosis, I waited and saw a dermatologist in my new area. She told me I needed a specific kind of laser - a V Beam. She didn’t have one.</p>
<p>So I went to a doctor at a university medical center. He did NOT use a V Beam but, rather, IPL (Light Impulses) with a variety of lasers. 5 treatments later, the results were amazing! </p>
<p>Did it hurt? A little. They put numbing cream on my face about 20 minutes before they started and the treatments felt like someone snapping rubberbands on my face. (Interesting, the pain was more intense on the fatty areas like cheeks than on non-fatty areas like my forehead.) It really wasn’t bad and it was well worth any pain!!</p>
<p>It’s now 4 years since my treatments. I had one touch-up about 2 years ago and my face still looks great!</p>
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<p>I had the cream too but it still hurt like heck. Interestingly my cheeks and forehead were the easy places on me, it was near the edge of and around my nose and lips that it really stung. </p>
<p>I remember the rubberband analogy and thought “oh who are you kidding? An electric shock does not feel like a rubberband!” But for most it is like a rubberband. </p>
<p>But not to discourage anyone. Every person is different it seems and I think my pain was unusual. And call me vain, but I’d do it again if I had to! Well worth a few minutes of sting.</p>
<p>Ten or twelve years ago, I saw a dermatologist for my rosacea. She prescribed some gel that I used, but I didn’t really see any results so when the tube ran out, I just quit using anything. The redness is much worse on some days than others, but I use a foundation and powder by Origins that gives good coverage. I was really embarrassed last summer when I was planting flowers out by the mailbox and the FedEx man was delivering a package and said, “Oh my gosh, you need to go in the house immediately. I think you’ve got third degree burns on your face!” I thanked him but just didn’t feel like explaining the rosacea. Working outdoors during the summer definitely makes the rosacea worse, but I do use sunlock and a visor. I’ve recently done some reading on the subject and spoken to others who suffer with rosacea, but it sounds like the type I have may only respond to the laser treatment which I probably wouldn’t pay to have. I do notice that alcohol (beer especially) makes my face feel like it’s on fire. Speaking of alcohol, I have read that W.C. Fields bulbous nose and red face was a result of rosacea though his alcohol consumption did not help.</p>