Acne rosacea is a disease with dermal and ophthalmic manifestations that combines the symptoms specific to rosacea with the pustules of acne. So far, the cause that triggers acne rosacea is not fully explained although it is generally admitted that the disease is favored by sun exposure. The face and the chest are the most affected body parts both by the flushing and the pustules outbreak, and the disease tends to get worse after spicy food, hot drinks and alcohol.

It seems that acne rosacea has been reported in more women than men, with a higher occurrence of the disease in the middle-aged group. Thus, most of the cases have been reported on people between 30 and 60, but here we ought to add that black skin is more difficult to diagnose. Although many assumptions have been made on the preponderance of acne rosacea with fair-skinned people, the theory is not supported by clinical evidence.

The acne blemishes characteristic to the disease are most often distributed on the chin and cheeks, or in the nose area, but the central part of the forehead is also commonly affected. Although the oily appearance of the skin makes acne rosacea resemble acne vulgaris, differences do exist. In traditional acne forms, comedones are widely spread, whereas with rosacea they only appear in the flush areas. Moreover, acne rosacea has a hypertrophy dimension that is not found with acne vulgaris.

Unlike regular acne forms, acne rosacea is a chronic disease that evolves in time, sometimes extending over years. Corticosteroids are commonly prescribed for the alleviation of the symptoms, but they are not suitable for long-term therapy because of the risk to cause an atrophy or permanent vaso-dilation of the tissues. Most dermatologists will therefore go for the systemic treatment instead of the topical one.

Sometimes the damage caused by acne rosacea needs surgical treatment, but only an expert can decide on such a course of action. The tunable dye laser procedure and electrocautery represent the two main solutions under the circumstances, but skin grafting, dermabrasion and other forms of excision are also possible. Do not postpone the treatment of acne rosacea because the more time passes, the more difficult will be to cure it.

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