Rosacea Treatment | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Feb 11, 2013

The Best Rosacea Treatments

February 11, 2013 By Carleenp 7 Comments

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that generally affects the face. It begins as a generalized redness, but can progress to include dilated blood vessels, and small bumps and pustules, especially on the nose. It is often accompanied by a burning or stinging sensation, and sometimes affects the eyes.

So if you're afflicted with rosacea, what are your best options for treatment? Here are a few ideas to look into. You can also look for treatment products in the rosacea section at Dermstore, who has a particularly nice selection of products.

1. Oral Antibiotics

Doctors often prescribe oral antibiotics for patients dealing with redness and bumps or pimples. Among the most common antibiotics prescribed are doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline. Physicians also often prescribe topical antiobiotic creams to treat the skin condition. Drugs containing azelaic acid or sulfur are often prescribed for cases of rosacea that don't respond to antibiotics.
While oral antibiotics are typically very successful at treating rosacea, the condition often returns when the medications are discontinued.

2. Natural Anti-inflammatories

Certain herbal ingredients are believed to calm the inflammation of rosacea. Green tea, feverfew, lavender and licorice all have natural anti-inflammatory properties that may work to ease the redness and stinging of rosacea. Many rosacea sufferers also find that sandalwood oil applied topically brings them relief of symptoms.

3. Cosmetics Choices

When your face is red and inflamed, it's natural to want to cover the condition with cosmetics -- but using cosmetics is a particular danger zone for those with rosacea. Many cosmetic preparations can actually inflame the condition, so you must take care to choose hypo-allergenic cosmetics only. Try using any new cosmetics on a small patch of skin before spreading them over your entire face, and make sure you have no reactions, since use of the wrong cosmetics can actually make your condition worse.

Make sure to read the labels of any product you put on your face. Cosmetics and skin care products containing alcohol, clove or eucalyptus oil, various fragrances, menthol, salicylic acid, or witch hazel have all been shown to exacerbate rosacea flare-ups.

4. Lifestyle Changes

Rosacea is sometimes triggered by stress, which can release hormones, adrenaline, and other chemicals into the body's system. Avoid stressful situations as much as possible, and drink plenty of water to help flush the negative chemicals out of your system.

Sugar, soda, coffee and cigarettes all contain stimulants which can enlarge blood vessels, and thus pose a special danger for those with rosacea. In addition, about one-third of rosacea sufferers react badly to aspartame, so it should also be avoided.
Sunlight is a trigger to rosacea outbreaks for many people, so make sure you wear a hat in the sun, and find a sunscreen that your skin can tolerate easily.

Finally, some people find that food allergies or sensitivities trigger outbreaks of rosacea. Some believe that allergies are not the cause, but that rosacea outbreaks can be a result of overly acidic foods in the body. Pay careful attention to what you're eating and to whether it seems to be exascerbating your condition, and avoid those foods that make your rosacea worse.

5. Laser Treatments and LED Light

While laser treatments can't treat the underlying condition of rosacea, they are often effective at dealing with the cosmetic problems that rosacea can leave behind. Lasers can be used to reduce redness on the skin, to remove visible blood vessels, and to treat bumps on the nose. Your dermatologist will know the best choice of laser for your specific condition. Meanwhile, LED light therapy has become increasingly popular for treating rosacea. In particular, the Baby Quasar red light has gotten good reviews for use with rosacea at home.

Looking for more? View rosacea treatment information and products at Dermstore.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Filed Under: Rosacea Treatment, Rosacea Treatment, Skin Care Tagged With: Baby Quasar, Rosacea, Skin Care

Oct 31, 2011

Should You Try Home Light Therapy?

October 31, 2011 By Carleenp 7 Comments

LED home light therapy devices are becoming a popular home treatment for a variety of skin concerns, such as acne, melasma, rosacea, and wrinkles. Some also recommend light therapy as a general anti-aging treatment. But are the devices really effective? Are they safe? The answer is that home LED light devices appear to be quite safe and, at least for conditions such as acne, they are generally effective as well, although professional dermatological treatments likely offer the most benefits.

How LED Light Therapy Works

Light Therapy works by using LED light, which can penetrate the skin better than topical agents. LED light produces energy that acts to reduce inflammation and target bacteria. This happens when bacteria molecules react to the light by producing oxygen. The bacteria is then destroyed because it cannot survive in an oxygenated environment. The color of light can have different effects. For example, a red light will target inflammation, while a blue light targets acne causing bacteria.

Light Therapy Effectiveness

LED light treatment for skin conditions such as acne is generally FDA approved, with several home devices being FDA cleared. But measuring the overall effectiveness of home products can be difficult. As Dr. Glenn Kolansky, a Board Certified Dermatologist in New Jersey, explains:

“Many companies make claims about the effectiveness of treatments, but true clinical based trials of the efficacy of home products are rarely performed. Certain wave lengths of light can penetrate tissue better than others *** LED light has been used to repair 'recent injuries' that need more energy. Light close to and near the infared range does have documented benefit for promoting wound healing *** Red LED light is non-invasive but can penetrate deeply into the skin tissue. It has shown some benefit to improving skin tone and texture, however the benefit may be difficult to quantify.”

Dr. Kolansky further notes:

“It is difficult to determine the effectiveness of home machines; pictures are not comparable due to the angle the picture is taken, and the amount of smiling can change things. It is sometimes difficult to appreciate any difference, or the minimal difference, in before and after photos in regard to wrinkle improvement.”

Also of concern are devices that do not actually use LED light or that have less powerful, and hence, less effective lights. Dr. Neal Schultz, a Board Certified Dermatologist in New York, notes that “the power and the energy and the actual quality of the lights in the at-home devices just isn’t the same as it is in the professional devices.” Describing the difference between professionally performed light therapy and at home devices, Schultz observed that, in a professional machine, there are approximately 800 LED lights and the treatment usually lasts for about 23 or 24 seconds. In comparison, home treatments normally have a small number of lights and a treatment time of 3-15 minutes. Thus, Schultz states:

“Clearly we’re talking about two very different worlds. If I give the at-home devices the benefit of the doubt and say, 'Yes, they can possibly have some small level of efficacy,' I’ll leave you with two thoughts. Number one, of course, buyer beware. And number two, you don’t always get what you pay for, but you can be sure of one thing, you never get more than you pay for.”

Others however, report quite a bit of success. For example, Kathleen Stegman, Founder of Midwest Medical Aesthetics, has used home LED devices in her spa and found them to be especially effective, noting that some of the benefits seen are a decrease in inflammation after spa procedures, decreases in pigmentation, lessening of wrinkles, and a decrease in inflammation in patients who get treatments for acne. Likewise, Debra Jaliman, a New York Board Certified Dermatologist and author of the upcoming book, Skin Rules: Trade Secrets From a Top New York Dermatologist, says that, while not as effective as professional machines, at home LED devices are effective for acne treatment and she would recommend them. However, Jaliman also noted that, for wrinkle treatment, the light in home devices does not penetrate deeply enough to treat visible lines, but they might be effective for prevention.

In general, home light therapy is most likely to be successful for inflammatory conditions such as acne or rosacea (see our previous discussion of the Light Stim Rosacea Light). But the lights might be best used solely as a preventative for wrinkle and anti-aging treatments.

Home Light Therapy Safety

Dermatologists generally report that using a home LED light device is safe. The eye area should be properly protected (most home devices include goggles for the user to wear), and the manufacturer’s instructions should be followed. The user should also purchase only devices that use LED lights. Non-LED devices can cause burns.

The Top At Home Light Therapy Devices

There are a number of LED devices on the market. The following are a few that are regarded as the best home light therapy devices for safety and effectiveness.

Tria Beauty Skin Perfecting Blue Light ($245): For Acne Treatment, a top recommendation is Tria Beauty’s Skin Perfecting Blue Light. Tria reports that their FDA-cleared device is considered one of the most advanced acne light treatments available, delivering the same strength of Blue Light used by dermatologists.

Baby Quasar ($349-$795): Baby Quasar offers some of the best respected home lights, with acne and anti-aging lights in the $349-$399 price range. For those with money to spare, the company also offers a professional strength anti-aging light for $795. Baby Quasar offers a 60-day money back guarantee.

LightStim ($299-$329): The LightStim Company offers lights for treatment of Rosacea, Acne, and Anti-Aging.

For those looking for bargains, there are a few more affordable choices. While budget friendly, these devices do not claim to provide the same strength of light that is used by dermatologists.

The Verilux Clear Wave ($99-$145): The Clear Wave Blue Light is FDA cleared and sold through Brookstone. Consumer reviews of a previous panel version of the clear wave lights have been fairly good.

The Sirius Aurora ($149): The Sirius Aurora offers multiple treatment colors in one device, along with a 60-day money back guarantee.

Tanda Zap ($49): For Acne Spot Treatment, Tanda, which also offers standard blue and red lights, has a cute little item called the Tanda Zap. Meant for use on single blemishes, it offers a rather affordable way to utilize light in acne treatment. Cosumer reviews of the Tanda Zap have been rather favorable.

Filed Under: Acne Products, Beauty Tech, LED Light Therapy, Melasma Treatment, Rosacea Treatment, Skin Care Tagged With: Baby Quasar, LED Light Therapy, LightStim, Sirius, Skin Care, Tanda, Tria Beauty, Verilux

Oct 17, 2011

Battling Rosacea? Perhaps This Is The Tool For You!

October 17, 2011 By Carleenp 5 Comments

Rosacea is a common skin disorder that causes facial redness and bumpy inflammation that often has the appearance of acne. The redness and bumps often manifest themselves on the cheeks, nose and forehead, and it can also be accompanied by watery or irritated eyes. Although suffered by over 16 million in the United States alone, the condition is often misunderstood, with many suffers having never heard of the term “rosacea” or mistaking it for serious acne. The condition can become increasingly worse over time if not treated, and people who suffer from the condition report negative affects on their self esteem, so seeking therapy for the disorder is highly recommended.

Traditional Rosacea Treatment

The general consensus in the medical community is that rosacea cannot be entirely cured, but it can be effectively treated. The first step in any treatment program is avoiding items that might cause a flare up. Various triggers can worsen rosacea, such as temperature extremes, heavy exercise, sunlight, sunburn, wind, and stress. Alcohol and caffeine can also aggravate it, as can various medications and topical irritants.

Aside from avoiding triggers, traditional medicine has often turned to antibiotics and topical agents, such a mild alpha-hydroxy acid peels. Products with azaelic acid, whether over the counter or by prescription, have also helped some people. More recently, however, light therapy has become a treatment of choice for rosacea, and it offers promising results.

The LightStim Rosacea Light

LightStim is a company that manufactures various LED lights for skin treatments. Among their lineup is the LightStim Rosacea Light ($329), a handheld device with a combination of red, infrared, and blue LED lights, developed specifically to reduce the appearance of rosacea. LED light works to treat skin conditions by producing energy that is effective at reducing inflammation and targeting bacteria. For example, both red and infrared light lessens inflammation and redness, while blue light helps kill acne causing bacteria. Because light can penetrate the skin better than many topical agents and can have an effect on bacteria and inflammation deeper in the skin without irritation, light therapy is an increasingly recommend product, not just rosacea, but for acne and anti-aging as well.

The specific LightStim Rosacea model is new, and consumer reviews of the product outside of testimonials from the LightStim website are not yet available. However, consumer reviews of other LightStim products have been very favorable. For example, numerous users report success with the acne light, including favorable mentions on private blogs and on skin care and beauty forums. Given that rosacea and acne involve common problems and symptoms, and that the acne light also targets inflammation and bacteria, there is every reason to believe that the rosacea light will be just as effective at targeting the same underlying problems as the acne light. With the addition of infrared to target redness, the product does indeed seem very promising and worth a test. The LightStim company offers a 90-day satisfaction guarantee, which should be enough time to gauge whether the light is effective.

Light therapy devices are easy to use and involve no discomfort. Generally the device is used daily for 5-10 minutes until results are seen. At that point, a maintenance schedule of around three times per week is usually effective.

LightStim Lights are on the pricier side, with LightStim’s price at $329 at the time of this writing. The device is also available for less through other sources, but it is less clear that the 90-day guarantee will then apply.

See The LightStim Rosacea Light at LightStim.com

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