| While the cause of rosacea is still not understood, and there is no cure for this skin disorder, rosacea medicine is abundant on the market. The condition itself consists of redness and/or bumps on the cheeks, nose, chin, and or forehead. Most experts agree that rosacea is not caused by bacteria, but antibiotics are often prescribed and do work because of their anti-inflammatory properties. There are also a great deal of natural treatments and therapies that have been studied and discussed in the rosacea circle.
Emu oil, which comes from the back fat of an Emu, comes highly recommended by certain rosacea sufferers. It has both powerful ant-inflammatory and skin rejuvenating characteristics that are well-suited to treat all types of irritated skin. Pure Emu oil penetrates deep into the skin and mirrors the lipid profile of human skin, and it can be found in a non-pure state in soaps and moisturizers as well. Other natural ingredients that have been effective in combating rosacea include green tea extract, niacinamide, licorice, chrysanthellum indicum cream, and azelaic acid.
And then we move to the pharmaceutical side of rosacea medicine, which, some would argue, is more effective when it comes to treating this distressing condition.
A medicine under the name Sulfacet, with ten percent sodium sulfacetamide 10% and five percent sulfur has demonstrated good results in certain studies, with an 80 percent reduction in rosacea lesions, and a 69 percent reduction in redness.
Oral antibiotics (of which doxycycline is the most recognized) have proven in trials that paients improved from 50 to 60 percent in lesions. However, it is recommended that the patient and doctor be in close contact and make sure to keep the therapy short-term, not exceeding a year.
Metronidazole, known as MetroGel and MetroCream, is frequently prescribed. In studies of this topical antibiotic, results came up with a 72 percent decrease in rosacea lesions, and a 45 percent redness decrease.
Benzaclin (a combination of benzoyl peroxide or benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin) has been shown to reduce lesions by 71.3 percent and a significant reduction in redness.
Azelaic acid (Azelex) demonstrated a 73 percent reduction in rosacea lesions.
Other important actions to take when it comes to treating your rosacea have to do with your lifestyle. Make sure that you wear sunscreen (Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are best-tolerated) at all times when outdoors. Limit your exposure to the sun, and overexertion in the hot and humid summer months, and keep your face protected in extremely cold and windy weather.
Avoid all cleansing and moisturizing products that contain harsh ingredients such as alcohol, and you may also find that avoiding spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol will improve your condition, even if you are not taking a rosacea medicine.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute the advice of a medical professional. |