“Are lasers the best treatment for rosacea?”
I'm 32, and I have been experiencing issues with rosacea for years and I want to get rid of it. Are lasers the best way to treat this?
5 Answers
Lasers are great for treating the underlying big blood vessels that rosacea produces over years. However, I always think that prevention is better than cure. So, if we can prevent the big blood vessels from forming in the first place with diet, lifestyle choices, sunscreen, and perhaps medications, then we might not ever need a laser.
Yes lasers and laser like devices such as intense pulsed light are excellent treatment modalities for treating most rosacea. However, good topical and oral treatment is not to be excluded in some cases. None are a cure, but can give satisfactory results when tailored to the patients specific condition. For severe cases where systemic antibiotics are objectionable there is a pill with minimum side effects called Rosadyn. You can find it on the Internet under Rosadyn.com. It may be a long term solution to chronic rosacea. You can also find an excellent book called Beating Rosacea (Dr Nase). The book is inexpensive and very informative and easy to read. Dr Bitter
Geoffrey A. Potts
Dermatologist
For redness, larger blood vessels (erythematotelangiectatic rosacea) yes laser is an effective long term solution. Creams such as Mirvaso and Rhofade are also helpful in temporary improvement of flushing associated with rosacea. The most important factor is to determine underlying triggers for your skin and avoid them. Using sunscreen and sunscreen daily is important for skin cancer prevention and to reduce rosacea flares. Gentle washes or sulfa cleansers are often helpful to avoid irritating the skin. If you have bumps if rosacea there are many different prescription topicals and pills to assist with the inflammation. Some even have eye involvement of rosacea. A board certified dermatologist in your area could help you get clearer skin.