Although having a “nice, rosy complexion” is usually touted as being a good thing, when my face’s skin colour grew from rosy to red and became a permanent condition, it was not nearly as appealing. I had developed a relatively common skin condition known as rosacea.

Rosacea is most prevalent among fair skinned people who blush easily. That describes me to a “t”.

The causes of rosacea are not clearly understood, but the redness of the face occurs because blood rushes to the small capillaries that are near the skin’s surface. Rosacea is often mistakenly confused with acne, and in fact, is often referred to as acne rosacea. In reality, the two are completely different conditions.

Various treatments and natural remedies have been tried over the years. Laser treatments are thought to offer the best and most long lasting results. They work by destroying the capillaries responsible for the redness.

My Personal Experience with the Laser Procedure

About fifteen years ago, laser treatment for rosacea was in its infancy. My physician advised me that a local dermatologist had begun offering the treatments and asked if I would be interested. My immediate response was a mixture of fear (I’m not known for my courage in the face of pain), and excited curiosity. I decided to check it out.

Although Canadians enjoy universal health care, “vanity” procedures such as this are understandably not covered. The dermatologist’s estimate for the cost of the laser treatment was $300, give or take. Since I had a well-paying job at the time, the cost wasn’t prohibitive. Keep in mind this was fifteen years ago. The fee would assuredly be different now.

Based on the dermatologist’s assurance that the “discomfort” would be minimal, I opted to have the treatment. It was performed in the doctor’s office on a Friday evening, giving me the weekend to recover before I returned to work on Monday.

During the session, I wore black, opaque goggles to protect my eyes while the doctor and his trainee “zapped” my face about a dozen times with the laser.

Although it wasn’t excruciating, the pain was more than a “discomfort.” Each zap was perhaps the equivalent of a bee sting. The zaps on the nose were the worst. As I mentioned earlier, I’m a wus when it comes to pain.

What I hadn’t realized was that each “zap” would cause a burn on the skin that would fade gradually over the course of a week to ten days. These burns evidenced themselves as bright red, perfectly circular spots about an inch in diameter.

I was expected to show up for work on Monday. Thankfully my job didn’t require me to meet the public. However, the symmetrical red circles dotted across my nose and cheeks created quite a stir among my colleagues. Comments ranged from a shocked question regarding skin cancer to a more humorous comparison to Pippi Longstockings.

( Pippi Longstockngs, for those unfamiliar with the name, is a character in a series of children’s books. She wears striped stockings and has large red freckles on her face)

I hope this report doesn’t deter anyone from having laser treatment for rosacea. I have been told that laser treatments have advanced and that today’s procedures are gentler than the ones of my experience.

Best yet, the laser treatments work. The dermatologist administered what he viewed as the minimum number of zaps (treatments), saying we could do more later on if needed. His recommendation was to let the burns heal then decide whether there was enough rosacea remaining to require more treatments. I decided there was no need for additional procedures.

Re-occurrence

The dermatologist also informed me that the rosacea could reoccur over time. To prevent or delay the re-occurrence, I was advised to avoid anything that caused heating of the face. This included hot water on the face, drinking alcohol, eating spicy foods, drinking hot drinks such as tea or coffee and exposure to direct sunlight. To be frank, I wasn’t willing to make these lifestyle changes – especially coffee drinking. It took several years, but eventually the rosacea returned. It worsened during menopause, and then gradually faded on its own afterward.

Today, I still have this condition, but the redness is less pronounced than it once was. For several years, I have practiced various forms of energy medicine and energy healing. Whether or not this alternative approach to health care has any bearing on the rosacea lessening, I cannot say. Perhaps it does or perhaps it does not.

About Rosacea

The prime rosacea symptom is reddening of the face, as described above. Some individuals may experience a variation known as papulopustular rosacea . In this case, bumps, pimples or spots will be present. Phymatous rosacea , most common among older men, shows up as an enlarged, red nose with bumpy skin. Former US President Bill Clinton suffers from this type of rosacea. Another variant, ocular rosacea is rosacea of the eyes. Symptoms include red eyes, burning and itching.

As mentioned earlier, alternative rosacea treatment is  available and may be worth exploring. However, anyone suspecting they have this condition would be wise to consult a medical doctor for a diagnosis before proceeding with home remedies. Should the symptoms be caused by something other than rosacea, your physician would want to treat accordingly.