Rosacea is a recurring long-term skin condition where episodes of redness and flushing develop, together with dilated blood vessels and occasional pimples. Individuals with rosacea tend to have sensitive skin, and often experience a stinging sensation when exposed to triggers such as heat, sunlight, unsuitable skincare or certain food groups.
Thankfully, rosacea can be controlled by avoiding known triggering factors, combined with the use of medical creams and vascular lasers, which shrink blood vessels and reduce redness.
Unfortunately, patients with rosacea often are unable to tolerate conventional treatments such as chemical peels, strong lasers or energy-based devices used for acne scarring and visible pores. This is because the chemicals or heat from these treatments trigger and aggravate a rosacea flare up in a good number of individuals.
Treatment
With improved research and technology, there are treatments available that address a combination of rosacea, rolling and boxcar acne scars, as well as visible pores. Subcision is a great example of a treatment for acne scars when there is concurrent rosacea, as minimal or no heat is involved in the process.
Visible pores and facial redness are improved when this treatment is combined with polynucleotides, due to its anti-inflammatory and collagen regenerating properties. The number of subcision sessions needed depends on the severity of scarring and expertise of the doctor.
In general, improved results can be seen in 2 to 3 months after 1 session of subcision, with further treatments giving better results.
Visible pores and atrophic scars can also be improved with fractional treatments over multiple sessions. Traditional fractional ablative CO2 lasers, although useful in improving pores and atrophic scars, deliver high levels of thermal energy to the skin that easily diffuses to surrounding tissue, resulting in a buildup of heat that tends to create unwanted side effects in sensitive skin types.
In recent years, other fractional modalities have been developed to allow for optimal treatment of various skin types and conditions, and I incorporate 5 to 6 of them in my practice.
For instance, the fractional picosecond laser achieves detachment of fibrous scar tissue through laser induced optical breakdown (LIOB), a process that generates much less heat, delivers superior results with fewer side effects, making it more suitable for patients with rosacea as compared to conventional ones.
Do consult your trusted doctor and have a full assessment carried out, for a proper diagnosis to be made, so that a treatment plan can be individualised for your skin condition.
Hope this helps!
