Rosacea skin condition characterised by redness on the face in a butterfly pattern (ie across the nose and cheeks), flushing, pimples, vascular lines, thinking skin and/or eye irritation. Not everyone with Rosacea will have all symptoms but even one of them can cause discomfort and self-consciousness.

The condition tends to flare up at times but is understood to be chronic. As well as the face, rashes and pimples can also appear on the back, neck, scalp and behind the ears. Some dietary and environmental factors are known to trigger Rosacea. This includes spicy foods, red wine, food intolerances and very hot or cold weather. Other causes can be an imbalance of skin or gut bacteria or an auto-immune condition such as diabetes or celiac disease.

More women than men have Rosacea, but it tends to be more severe in the latter. In very advanced cases it can result in Rhinophyma (or swelling of the nose) due to cells there becoming enlarged. The redness and rashes of Rosacea are the result of broken or dilated capillaries under the skin.

There are a variety of treatments to help with Rosacea, including antibiotics (following a consultation with the Dermatologist), topical creams and chemical peels. LED and Laser treatment are also used some cases of Rosacea. LED red light treatment destroys the offending bacteria in the skin’s subdermal layer and stimulates collagen, while laser treatment shrinks or closes off blood vessels, allowing new skin to flourish.