Across Canada and all of North America, April is designated Rosacea Awareness Month to increase awareness and provide further education on the early signs and symptoms of this chronic and conspicuous skin condition that causes many people emotional pain and stress.
Rosacea symptoms vary from person to person but often present as redness or blushing accompanied by a burning sensation. Over time, the redness can become more persistent, and bumps, pimples, and/or visible blood vessels can appear. Due to the obvious appearance of rosacea symptoms, many stigmas have developed over the years, so we wanted to write a blog post to debunk 5 of these common misconceptions.
Myth #1. Rosacea is caused by poor hygiene
Rosacea is a vascular and inflammatory condition that is completely unrelated to hygiene. In fact, too much scrubbing or using products that are harsh on the skin can actually worsen symptoms. It is important to follow a skin care program that is right for you and your skin in order to keep rosacea symptoms controlled.
Myth #2. Rosacea is the same as acne
There are different forms of rosacea, including sub-type 2 rosacea, which is often mistaken as acne. The characteristics of this form of rosacea include redness, bumps and pimples. Although there may be some overlapping symptoms between acne and rosacea, they have completely different underlying causes that must be managed differently.
Myth #3. Rosacea can be caused by heavy drinking
People who never drink are just as likely to develop rosacea as those who drink daily. However, alcohol can aggravate the condition for some people with rosacea. Learn more about what actually causes rosacea in our related blog post.
Myth #4. Rosacea is just a cosmetic problem
Sadly, this is not true. Although the symptoms of rosacea can cause people embarrassment and emotional stress, it is not just having “rosy cheeks” and blushing easily. Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that can affect the integrity of your skin, making it thinner and more susceptible to damage, if left untreated.
Myth #5. Rosacea is curable
There is currently no known cure for rosacea. However, inflammation and vascular-related symptoms can be improved and controlled with a customized treatment plan involving medical-grade skin care and in-office laser treatments. We also suggest keeping track of rosacea flare-ups to become more aware of activities that aggravate your symptoms.
At YES Medspa we use combination therapy to customize your treatment plan.
At YES Medspa, we offer two great medical-grade skin care lines that have dedicated rosacea programs to help calm the inflammation. We can also address vascular lesions using our Palomar Icon™ MaxG™, intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments. In addition, jane iredale mineral make-up is another great product available at YES that can help conceal your rosacea symptoms without irritating or congesting your skin and causing further flare-ups.
Booking a consultation with one of our skin experts for an Advanced Skin Analysis is the first step to developing your customized treatment plan. Call us at (604) 888-9378 to get started.
Leave a Reply