Rosacea (ro-ZA-she-uh) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that affects adults. It causes redness in your face and produces small, red, pus-filled bumps or pustules.
Left untreated, rosacea tends to be progressive, which means it gets worse over time. However, in most people rosacea is cyclic. This means your rosacea signs and symptoms may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then lessen for a while before flaring up again. Besides acne, rosacea can be mistaken for other skin problems, such as skin allergy or eczema. Products prescribed in the treatment of rosacea represent a $137 million market, despite the lack of a topical treatment proven to effectively treat the symptoms of the disease, primarily redness and flushing. Now Obagi Medical Products, Inc., a leader in topical aesthetic and therapeutic skin health systems, offers a new option for people living with rosacea - The Obagi Rosaclear System
Experts are not sure what causes rosacea. It tends to affect people who have fair skin or blush easily, and it seems to run in families.
Rosacea is not caused by alcohol abuse, as people thought in the past. But in people who have rosacea, drinking alcohol may cause symptoms to get worse (flare).
Rosacea often flares when something causes the blood vessels in the face to expand, which causes redness. Things that cause a flare-up are called triggers. Common triggers are exercise, sun and wind exposure, hot weather, stress, spicy foods, alcohol, and hot baths. Swings in temperature from hot to cold or cold to hot can also cause a flare-up of rosacea.
Symptoms may include:
A flushed face and pimples or bumps on or around the cheeks, nose, mouth, and forehead. Sometimes the flushing or redness can last for days.
Tiny red veins on the face that look like spiderwebs.
Burning or stinging facial skin, especially when they apply lotions or medicines. The face may feel increasingly dry, sensitive, or sunburned.
Dry, red, irritated eyes. The eyelids may look red and swollen, and vision may be blurry. If it is not treated, rosacea can cause serious eye problems.
“Rosacea is a highly visible disease that can have a significant impact, both emotionally and physically,” said Mitchel P. Goldman, MD, Founder and Medical Director of La Jolla Spa MD. “Based on the results I have witnessed using this System in my practice, the Rosaclear System will be an exciting addition to our treatment options for rosacea.”
The Rosaclear System incorporates a specially formulated treatment regimen that effectively reduces and minimizes the visible redness and blotchiness associated with rosacea and is also non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog pores. Metronidazole Topical Gel USP 0.75%, a prescription medication indicated for the treatment of papules and pustules associated with rosacea, is used in conjunction with select cosmetic-based products to create an effective, comprehensive treatment system. The complementary, non-prescription products help to reduce visible redness by incorporating calming agents such as licorice, aloe, lavender and sea whip to soothe the skin, along with light-reflecting minerals to balance the appearance of the complexion overall.
