Rosacea is a condition of the skin, sometimes referred to as adult acne by many doctors, but can appear at any age, starting with late teens and early 20s. The first sign of this condition is a bright red, flushing face then inflamed red lumps and whiteheads appear around the nose and cheek areas. These lesions can be very large and painful. Also visible are enlarged broken veins and general redness.

Rosacea is a progressive vascular disorder that affects the face of millions of people all over the world. In the USA, 1 in 20 are affected. Women are 3 times more likely to suffer from this condition, due to having more delicate skin than men. However, it is not uncommon in men and for those who do suffer it is likely to be more severe.

		Subject: Female Age: 41 Site: Face Courtesy of Lynton Lasers
Before	After 2 sessions

		Subject: Male Age: 33 Site: Face Courtesy of Dr Paul Myers Supplied by Lynton Lasers
Before	After 1 session

What can trigger Rosacea?
Some Rosacea sufferers experience only a few triggers, while others experience many.

The most common triggers are:-
1. Nerves
2. Skin Irritation
3. Sun
4. Environmental Factors (Heat, Cold and Wind)
5. Topical Steroids
6. Stress
7. Food and Drink
8. Immune system
9. Free Radicals

What are the symptoms?
1. Facial Redness
2. Broken veins, known as Telangiectasia
3. Lumpy skin
4. Papules – small, red bumps
5. Pustules - whiteheads
6. Burning
7. Swelling
8. Rhinophyma – tissue growth of the nose

How can they be treated?
At SkinWise we offer treatment with the Lumina Intense Pulsed Light System in conjunction with facial treatments and homecare for optimum results.

Can you explain the different stages of Rosacea?
Rosacea seems to be categorised into 4 stages:

Pre-Rosacea
People who frequently flush but it disappears soon after, fit into this category. This flush can be triggered off by a warm environment, overheating, embarrassment, facial cleansing etc. At this early stage, there are usually no signs of physical damage to the blood vessels.

Mild Rosacea
This is known as the first ‘true’ form of Rosacea. This stage generally begins when the flushing stays for a longer period of time, usually more than 30 minutes after the trigger. Due to this, there may be slight structural damage to our blood vessels.

Moderate Rosacea
This stage of Rosacea begins when the facial redness persists for days and then weeks, generally around the nose and cheek areas. Also burning and swelling can occur. Many sufferers also report outbreaks of inflamed lumps known as papules and/or pustules, which are also known as whiteheads. Broken veins also become visible and can become severely damaged if not treated. These can contribute to the facial swelling and papules that are so common at this stage.

Severe Rosacea
A small portion of sufferers progress to the final stage which is characterised by swelling, facial flushing, facial pain and a burning sensation. Due to the inflammation, it is very common to then have papules, pustules and nodules, which are hard lumps under the surface of the skin. Some sufferers may also develop ‘Rhinophyma’, which is an enlargement of the nose.

After many years of uncontrollable facial flushing, structural damage occurs and this causes inflammation. New blood vessels are then formed as the damaged ones cannot function correctly.

How does the Lumina Intense Pulsed Light system work?
Lumina consists of intense light that is emitted in a series of short pulses. The wavelength of light is specially selected so that when it is directed into the skin, it is predominantly absorbed by the blood vessels. First a clear cool gel is applied to the skin and the light pulsed through the gel into the skin. The sensation felt by the client is that of a very quick splash of hot fat which is instantaneous and lasts for micro seconds. The blood vessels will absorb the light, which causes them to heat up and undergo a process called ‘thermocoagulation’. This destroys the entire vessel while causing minimal damage to the surrounding skin. Following treatment, the damaged vessels are absorbed by the body and little or no trace of the initial vessel remains. The treatment will also help to diminish the flushing, inflammation and severe redness that is very common with Rosacea sufferers and will also help to strengthen the capillary walls and rebuild healthy collagen fibres so that your skin will look healthier and smoother.

What should I expect after treatment?
General redness and a slight burning sensation in the area is normal. A cooling pack will be applied to the skin to ease these symptoms.

How many treatments will I need?
This will depend on the severity of the Rosacea but typically 1-5 treatments, with top up treatments where necessary. Treatments should take place approximately every 4 to 6 weeks.

Are there any side effects?
The visible light is completely safe so no special precautions are needed apart from glasses from the brightness. The skin of some clients becomes quite red immediately after treatment and in rare cases some bruising may be seen. However, most clients experience no side effects and the described skin reactions usually disappear within hours to a few days. Mild hyper or hypo pigmentation may occur from time to time but this usually fades within a short period of time. It is essential that during a course of treatment, the skin is not exposed to sun light without the protection of a high factor sun screen. Small blisters rarely occur, but provided these are not interfered with, they will cause no adverse after effects. There are some positive side effects as well as acne reduction, many people find that their skin texture and tone dramatically improves.

Is everyone suitable for treatment?
The upper skin layer, the epidermis, contains melanin, a very good absorber of light, which is why it is the skin’s natural defence against harmful sunrays. The concentration of melanin in the skin is greater in darker skinned people and increases when the skin is exposed to UV light. The light emitted by the Lumina will be absorbed to a certain extent by the melanin as well as the veins and will heat the skin. The more melanin in the skin, the more heat will be produced so it is therefore not possible to treat dark-skinned and tanned individuals. If there are areas of broken skin, the treatment should be delayed until the area has completely healed.