Topics Discussed Below
- Misconception: Rosacea sufferers should fight through treatment-induced
irritation
- Main problem with this misconception
- References
I. Misconception: Rosacea Sufferers should fight through Treatment-Induced
Irritation because Their Skin and Blood Vessels will Adapt
This is a common misconception
that general physicians have about rosacea treatment. The problem
with this misconception is that it usually aggravates the underlying
vascular disorder. For this reason, rosacea experts instruct their
patients to never fight through facial irritation or redness. (33-38)
Medical experts stress that in individuals with sensitive skin,
any form of irritation makes the skin more vulnerable to subsequent
irritation. (39) Recovery of sensitive skin and blood vessels only
occurs when exposure to topical irritants is stopped, and the skin
is allowed to heal. (39)
II. Main Problem with
this Misconception
This misconception is
harmful to rosacea sufferers. Not only does it have the great potential
to worsen rosacea symptoms, but it can also set into motion a disturbing
series of events: physicians prescribe topical irritants to treat
rosacea bumps and uneven skin texture….. these irritants increase
facial inflammation and flushing….. physicians then prescribe
topical steroids to reduce the facial inflammation….. these
steroids thin the facial skin, weaken the blood vessels, and cause
vascular hyper-reactivity. This results in significant progression
of the entire vascular disorder. This vicious cycle, once set into
motion, is very hard to break.
III. References
33. Wilkin, J.K. Use
of topical products for maintaining remission in rosacea. Arch
Dermatol 135: 79-80, 1999.
34. National Rosacea Society. "Rosacea Review". Spring.
1997. Drake,L.
35. Wilkin, J.K. Rosacea. Int J Dermatol 22: 393-400, 1983.
36. Plewig, G. and A.M. Klingman. Rosacea. In: Acne and Rosacea,
edited by G. Plewig and A.M. Klingman. Berlin: Springer-Verlag,
1993, p. 433-475.
37. Wilkin, J.K. "Recognizing and managing rosacea".
Drug Therapy 41-45, 1993.
38. National Rosacea Society. "Rosacea Review". edited
by J.K. Wilkin, 1994.
39. Van der Valk, P. "The treatment of irritant contact dermatitis".
In: The Irritant Contact Dermatitis Syndrome, edited by
P. Van der Valk and H. Maibach. New Yrk: CRC Press, 1996, p. 357-359.
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