Rosacea is a common condition which affects a large percentage of women, and some men too. It is incurable, and it is characterized by redness of the skin and acne-like pimples, as well as flushing and a ‘hot sensation’ in the skin, focused around the cheeks and nose.
Rosacea tends to go through periods of remission before flaring up again, but the periods between flair ups can vary – some people are lucky and go long periods without problems, others find that the condition can be triggered by almost anything – hot or cold weather, stress, alcohol, spicy foods, certain cosmetics or exercise, for example. Rosacea tends to get steadily worse if it is left untreated, and can go from being just ‘mild flushing’ to very severe acne-like sores that can become disfiguring. 
Rosacea is virtually incurable; you cannot completely get rid of it unless you get laser surgery to kill off the affected capillaries – and even then there is a chance that the capillaries will grow back. What you can do, however, is find ways to manage the condition and to get rid of the acne spots that crop up during outbreaks.
It is common for doctors and pharmacists to recommend steroid treatments for certain skin conditions – it is not a good idea to use steroids if you have rosacea, though, because they can thin the skin that can therefore make the rosacea itself more visible.
Recommended Rosacea Acne Treatment
Rosacea papulopustular (acne-like) spots are best treated with mild antibiotics. My dermatologist recommends minocycline, which she claims is the best available for rosacea. You can also reduce the appearance of rosacea by cooling the skin or by sucking on an ice-cube if you feel that an outbreak is about to happen. Minocycline taken in conjunction with Soolantra cream is a great combination, but you’ll need a medical prescription for both. If you can’t get to see a dermatologist, ask your doctor about them.
The best treatement for rosacea and the associated acne, however, is to try to figure out what causes your outbreaks and then avoid those triggers. Try to cover your skin if yhou are going out in the cold and know that cold weather is a trigger. Keep a food diary and avoid the foods that you know are likely to make your condition flare up. If exercise causes you to flare up, see about finding exercises that will still keep you fit, but that maybe operate in a less intense heart rate zone – gentle, low intensity exercise may work better than higher intensity exercises for keeping you out of the ‘flare up’ zone where your skin starts to flush and you trigger.
Try to avoid excessive sun exposure, and wear sunscreen when you go outside. Use mild soaps to clean your skin, and moisturize with something unscented. Try to avoid very hot drinks and spicy foods, and if you are taking medication, ask your doctor if you think that there is a possibility the medication could be making the condition worse – this is unusual, but it can happen with some medications such as calcium channel blockers.
If you get spots or cysts, do not pick or squeeze them. Use a topical antibiotic that can help to get rid of the spots, as a rosacea acne treatment if you have just one or two of them. If you have a lot of them, then you may find that getting prescription antibiotics could be better. You will need to take the antibiotics for up to 12 weeks to completely get rid of acne outbreaks – a lot of people stop taking them too soon, and that’s why they fail. Some people us topical creams to keep their skin clear after they have gotten rid of the acne outbreak. Not everyone can tolerate using azelaic acid on their skin in the long term, because it can dry the skin out and make it itchy. There are other options for bringing down rosacea-related inflammation; talk to your doctor about those options if you are interested in finding ways to clear out your skin in the long term. This is the best rosacea acne treatment.
Anyone can get rosacea, but rosacea acne treatment is possible – the condition affects people from all walks of life and it is not a sign of alcohol abuse or poor hygiene. Don’t worry about the condition, just talk to a doctor or dermatologist and try to find ways to manage it to prevent the outbreaks from becoming more severe, or having lasting damage to your skin.
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