I am a 54 year old male suffering from severe rosacea on my nose any suggestions?

Answer 1

Treatment Options

Rosacea
How is it treated?


While rosacea currently has no cure, various treatments are available that can help control it. Treatment may also keep it from progressing. Since the symptoms of rosacea usually vary not only from individual to individual, but also from time to time for any one patient, the choice of treatment will depend on the subtype and severity of rosacea, as well as on the patient’s emotional and physical impairment. Some rosacea treatment options include topical antibiotics, other topical preparations, oral antibiotics, laser therapy, and plastic surgery.

The main goals of rosacea treatment are to control the flare-up, prevent or decrease progression, and improve the appearance of the skin. Unfortunately, several weeks or months of treatment may be needed before improvement is apparent. In fact, topical treatments may even worsen facial redness at first. Most often, laser therapy is used to eliminate tiny widened blood vessels under the skin, and surgery removes thickened skin (most commonly from the nose). Laser and surgical treatments usually result in bruising and/or swelling that may take several days to disappear.

Drug Treatment

Generally, a rosacea flare-up is treated with a combination of prescription drugs. A topical product (an antibiotic and/or another type of drug) may be applied to the affected areas and oral antibiotics may be taken, as well. Both topical and oral medications are used to reduce inflammation and/or control micro-organisms that may be involved with the flare-up. Once the flare-up is under control, oral antibiotics usually are discontinued. Topical products are often used continuously, however, to help maintain remission and prevent recurrence.

Topical Preparations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three topical products — metronidazole, azaleic acid, and sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur — for treating rosacea. Topical preparations, which may come in a variety of forms that include creams, gels, ointments, and solutions, are applied directly to affected areas of the face. While topical antibiotics are widely used to treat rosacea, their effectiveness may be due more to anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties than to antibiotic activity. A cream or gel form of metronidazole is the topical antibiotic most often used for rosacea. Other topical antibiotics that may be used to treat the condition include clindamycin and erythromycin.

Topical tretinoin, a vitamin A derivative that is not an antibiotic, sometimes is used to reduce rosacea papules and pustules. Benzoyl peroxide, commonly used in both prescription and over-the-counter products to treat teen acne, may also treat rosacea eruptions. Not only antibacterial, benzoyl peroxide also promotes exfoliation (also called desquamation) — it causes dead skin cells to fall off. It may cause stinging and worsen redness for some patients, however. In fact, most topical medications cause dryness, which may make skin look and feel more irritated — especially when therapy is begun. Gently applying small amounts of the topical preparation only twice a day, avoiding sunlight, and applying a water-based moisturizer can help reduce irritation.

Oral Antibiotics

Short treatments (a few days or weeks) of an oral antibiotic, such as azithromycin, clarithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin, minocycline, or tetracycline, may be given to control a flare-up. Frequently, these drugs are also used to treat teen acne. Due to possible side effects, longer-term oral antibiotics usually are reserved for rosacea patients with more severe forms of the condition or for those with eye-related symptoms. Typically, oral antibiotics are more effective than topical antibiotics in clearing papules and pustules.

Occasionally other types of oral drugs may be used to treat rosacea. For example, isotretinoin, which is used mainly for teen acne, may help clear rosacea papules and pustules. Improvement may take several weeks to be visible, though, and oral isotretinoin has multiple side effects that limit its use for some individuals. Some women with rosacea have seen improvement in skin eruptions while taking oral contraceptives. Certain blood-pressure medications may reduce facial redness for some individuals. These treatments are not FDA-approved for rosacea.

To learn more about topical antibiotics, other topical preparations, and oral antibiotics used to treat rosacea, click on the drug class links below.

Laser Therapy

Mainly used for the removal of tiny broken blood vessels in the skin, vascular laser therapy can also be used to reduce red bumps and skin thickening. Currently, Pulsed Dye Lasers (PDLs), which work by releasing a strong burst of precisely-directed, single-wavelength light onto the affected skin, are used in treating rosacea. Heat from the vascular laser causes damaged blood vessels under the skin to collapse and disappear. Usually lasting for about 15 to 30 minutes at a time, PDL treatments generally cover a small area of the face at a time. Typically, multiple treatments are needed. Because patients may need several days to recover from bruising, pain, redness, or swelling that may follow laser treatments, the treatments are typically scheduled at 4 to 6 week intervals.

Laser therapy may improve skin appearance, but it cannot remove excess tissue. Because they do not break the skin, vascular laser techniques usually result in little or no scarring. However, most patients feel a painful stinging sensation during the laser pulses and up to one-fifth of patients experience temporary or permanent hyperpigmentation (darkened spots) after laser treatments for rosacea. During treatment, the face may have a patchwork appearance of treated and untreated areas.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion involves the use of a rough material to wear away the top layers of skin that has been deadened with a chemical spray. The new skin that appears in about a week is usually smoother. For rosacea, dermabrasion is used mainly for patients who have thickened skin. The use of dermabrasion for other forms of rosacea is controversial; some dermatologists think it may worsen skin reddening. Dermabrasion may also leave scars or darkened areas of skin.

Plastic Surgery

Usually, plastic surgery is reserved for patients whose skin has thickened severely. Most often, a type of surgery called rhinoplasty ("a nose job") is used to restructure the nose. It involves removing the excess skin and other tissue that has accumulated. Surgically removing tissue not only can reduce the size of the nose, it can also lessen surface bumps — often improving appearance dramatically. To treat rosacea, surgery is usually an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthetic in a clinic, doctor’s office, or hospital outpatient department.

Several different surgical techniques have been successful for rosacea depending on the extent of deformation. They include:

Traditional plastic surgery – Using a scalpel (a thin knife blade), the surgeon cuts away excess tissue and remodels areas it has deformed. Rosacea patients undergoing traditional surgery may be hospitalized – especially if large areas of tissue must be removed. They may need general anesthesia and recovery may take several weeks. Possible side effects from traditional plastic surgery include bruises, headaches, pain, scarring, and swelling. Since traditional plastic surgery involves cuts in the skin, infection may occur.

Electroknife (Hot Knife) – This technique uses a highly-localized electric current applied through a fine wire to remove skin and reshape the disfigured nose. The heat from the electric current closes off the ends of tiny blood vessels, which helps to reduce bleeding and bruising. Damage to surrounding areas of the face may be less than with traditional plastic surgery, but similar side effects may occur. Recovery time may be shorter, however, usually about two weeks.

Laser – Lasers used in surgery (usually an argon, CO2, or YAG laser) are different from the vascular lasers used to remove broken blood vessels and red spots. Light from a surgical laser penetrates deeper and literally vaporizes extra tissue. Laser treatment is usually less painful than traditional plastic surgery, but burns and swelling may result.
Emotional Support

In addition to treating the physical aspects of rosacea, attention also should be given to any related psychological issues. While treatment of the physical symptoms often helps to relieve self-esteem problems that may be associated with rosacea, several weeks or months of drug treatment may be needed to see improvement in skin appearance. Laser treatment may produce areas of normal-looking skin among patches of not-yet-treated, reddened skin. Either laser or surgical treatments may leave temporary swelling and/or permanent discoloration or scars. Individuals who experience emotional side effects of rosacea may want to consider counseling or join a rosacea support group. If anxiety or depression interferes with daily life, medication may be needed.

To learn more about non-drugs ways that can help keep rosacea under control, click on the "Helping Yourself" button at the top of this webpage.

Drug classes used to treat Rosacea

Anti-Infectives, Topical

Antibiotics, Topical

Macrolides

Retinoids, Oral

Retinoids, Topical

Tetracyclines

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Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
I am a 54 year old male suffering from severe rosacea on my nose any suggestions?

Answer 5

You really need to read "Rosacea Free Forever" by Laura Taylor (also available in electronic format here: http://www.rosaceafreeforever.info ). It's about how to permanently cure your Rosacea naturally. I cured my Rosacea permanently in only 4 days after reading this.

Stop paying paying each month good money on creams. This is exactly what the pharmaceutical industry wants you to do! They want to milk money from you each month.

Answer 6

Hi Christina, My sister's little boy had the same thing. Unfortunately their family doctor prescribed a stimulant laxative which is very harsh especially for young children and made the situation worse (if you must use laxative as last result, a bulk forming is the most gentle and least habitual forming). I have some great possible remedies and please forgive if you have already tried: the best would be increasing water intake everyday, slowly increase fiber intake but not too fast with fruits or veggies, natural non sugar (low sugar Dannon) yogurt is really big recommendation, aloe vera juice, flaxseed,comfrey in warm water as tea, and/or small amount of molasses in warm water(1/4 tsp). Sometimes constipation is due to iron medications or other prescriptions otherwise usually not enough fluid intake or fiber. Applesauce is good with no sugar not even artifical sugars. Cut any soda intake or high sugar foods. Also, try relaxation times(read favorite book together or quiet, slow activity) for both of you. Stress on either of you or getting high energy about situation can really prolong. Best of luck.

Answer 7

100% Rosacea Organic Natural Remedy : http://RosaceaGoGo.com/Assist

Answer 8

Did you already tried using Rosacea Free Forever mechanism? Go to this url : http://Rosacea.NatureHomeCure.com/ . This might definitely help you!

Answer 9

A good dermatologist can zap those areas and make them disappear! It's amazing the things they do with lasers today. Make an appointment! Godloveya.

Answer 10

Stop drinking alcohol.