Skin and eye acne
Acne rosacea is a disease with dermal and ophthalmic manifestations that combines the symptoms specific to rosacea with the pustules of acne. So far, the nature and exact causes of acne rosacea has not been given an explanation although it is known that sun exposure will increase the risk of disease development. The face and the chest are the most affected body parts both by the flushing and the pustules outbreak, and the disease tends to get worse after spicy food, hot drinks and alcohol.
It seems that acne rosacea affects more women than men, with a higher occurrence of the disease in the middle-aged group. Thus, most of the cases have been reported on people between 30 and 60, with the mention that in the case of black complexions the identification is more difficult and often delayed. Yet, there is not enough clinical evidence to support the idea that acne rosacea affects fair-skinned people most of the times.
The acne blemishes characteristic to the disease usually appear on the chin and cheeks, or in the nose area, but the central part of the forehead is also commonly affected. The skin is usually very oily too, yet there are some major differences between acne rosacea and acne vulgaris. In traditional acne forms, comedones have no limitation of extent, whereas with rosacea they only appear in the flush areas. Moreover, acne rosacea is characterized by hypertrophy which is not found with acne vulgaris.
Unlike regular acne forms, acne rosacea is a chronic disease that evolves in time, sometimes extending over years. Most often, topical corticosteroids are applied to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and to improve the overall condition, but they are not suitable for long-term therapy due to the tissue atrophy risk or the danger to cause permanent vaso-dilation. Most dermatologists will therefore go for the systemic treatment instead of the topical one.
Sometimes the damage caused by acne rosacea needs surgical treatment, but only an expert can decide on such a course of action. Electrocautery and the tunable dye laser procedure represent the two main alternatives under the circumstances, but skin grafting, dermabrasion and other forms of excision are also possible. Do not postpone the treatment of acne rosacea because the more time passes, the more difficult will be to cure it.
