1. Take the Rosacea Quiz!
2. Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures
3. View Pictures of Rosacea

Medical Author:

Gary W. Cole, MD, FAAD

Gary W. Cole, MD, FAAD

Dr. Cole is board certified in dermatology. He obtained his BA degree in bacteriology, his MA degree in microbiology, and his MD at the University of California, Los Angeles. He trained in dermatology at the University of Oregon, where he completed his residency.

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Medical Author:

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Rosacea facts
• What is rosacea? Is rosacea contagious?
• Is rosacea like acne?
• What are causes and risk factors of rosacea?
• What are rosacea symptoms and signs?
• How is rosacea diagnosed?
• What happens to the nose and the eyes?
• How is rosacea cured?
• What about using acne medicine?
• What is the treatment for rosacea?
• What should be avoided? What foods are good for rosacea?
• What natural remedies can help rosacea?
• Does rosacea get worse with age?
• How should I care for the skin of my face?
• How are the telangiectasias (the red lines) treated?
• How is a rhinophyma (the W.C. Fields nose) treated?
• What effect may rosacea have on my life?
• Where can people get more information about rosacea?
• Take the Rosacea Quiz!
• Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures
• View Pictures of Rosacea
• Rosacea FAQs
• Patient Comments: Rosacea - Effective Treatments
• Patient Comments: Rosacea - Symptoms
• Find a local Dermatologist in your town
• Rosacea Index

Telangiectasias are the small blood vessels that arise on the surface of the skin, commonly on around the nose, cheeks, and chin.

Simple cover-up makeup can be used for the telangiectasias. There are some green-based moisturizers or tinted foundations that may help conceal the redness.

Telangiectasias can also be medically treated in your physician's office with a small electric needle, a laser, intense pulsed light, or minor surgery to close off the dilated blood vessels. Usually, multiple treatments are required for best results, and only a portion of the blood vessels may be improved with each treatment. Not everyone responds the same to these types of treatments, and your physician can help you decide which treatment is best for your skin type, condition, and size of blood vessels.

• Electrocautery
• Laser
• Intense pulsed light therapy

Rhinophyma of the nose is frequently treated by surgery. The excess tissue may be removed with a scalpel, laser, or electro surgery. Dermabrasion can help improve the look of the scar tissue. Follow-up treatments with laser or intense pulsed light may help lessen the redness. Medical maintenance therapy with oral and or topical antibiotics may be useful to decrease the chance of recurrence.

Rosacea may affect your life minimally, moderately, or severely depending on how active the condition is and your overall tolerance of the skin symptoms.

Some individuals have absolutely no symptoms and are not bothered at all by their rosacea. They may enjoy perfectly healthy normal lives without any effect from this benign skin condition. Some patients really like the pink glow to their cheeks and find it gives them a pleasant color without having to use blush. They may not even know they have rosacea. They usually do not want to use any treatment.

People with moderate rosacea may have periodic flares that require treatment with oral antibiotics, lasers, and other therapies. They may continuously take an antibiotic daily for years and years to keep their symptoms under control. Many of these people may complain of embarrassment from the flushing and blushing of rosacea. They may have ups and downs and times that their disease is quiet and other times when it feels like it is on fire. With the help of their physician, these patients can learn the pattern of their rosacea and develop a treatment plan to keep it from interfering in their daily lives.

Other patients have very bothersome rosacea that causes them issues on a daily basis. There are subsets of severe rosacea sufferers who have extreme psychological, social, and emotional symptoms. Some have developed social phobias, causing them to cancel or leave situations when their rosacea is flaring or active. Some patients complain of looking like they have been drinking alcohol when in fact they don't drink at all. Although rosacea is not a grave medical situation, severe cases may wreak havoc in some patient's lives. It is important for these patients to discuss their physical and emotional concerns with their physicians and to get professional help in treating their rosacea.

Overall, promptly diagnosed and properly treated, rosacea should not prevent people with the condition from enjoying long and productive lives.