You’ve been through life longer than others, and so has your skin! While rosacea is most common in people between the ages of 30 and 50, and among fair skin types, anyone can suffer from different types of rosacea. If you have mature skin and experience rosacea, a common skin condition that millions of people suffer from, read on to learn how to take care of it. 

Most people know rosacea as the skin flushing that can happen during triggers (which we’ll get to in just a minute). However, rosacea can turn into a chronic condition for many people, with facial redness becoming more common and even causing permanent changes in the skin.

While rosacea may look like a sunburn, it’s a different condition altogether. People who suffer from rosacea may experience a sunburn-like redness, including visible blood vessels, acne-like bumps, and even irritated eyes.

What are the types of rosacea, what causes it and can rosacea be cured? We’ll answer these questions as well as look at different treatments for rosacea!

What Causes Rosacea?

Although rosacea is a common condition, people don’t understand it well. The exact cause of rosacea remains a mystery. But what we do know is that people have different triggers that can influence the presence of rosacea as well as the success of their treatment.

Experts speculate that the immune system, vascular changes and genetics may impact a person’s risk for rosacea. But it can happen through different microbes that live on the face as well, including face mites.

Face mites are one type of microscopic organism that live in hair follicles on the skin and are generally harmless (but scary, right?). These mites are associated with bacteria that can cause inflammation in some people with rosacea.

People often find that different foods can affect their rosacea. For example, consuming a diet high in foods associated with inflammation in specific individuals, such as sugar, gluten, alcohol, and foods high in histamine, can worsen rosacea. Others find that spicy foods and even citrus fruits can aggravate the condition.

Other triggers include changes in temperature, drinking too much caffeine and, of course, stress, which can cause inflammatory processes in the body. Identifying your triggers can be an integral component in developing a successful treatment for rosacea.

The Four Types of Rosacea

Four different types of rosacea can happen in both people with mature skin and people with normal skin.

1. Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea

As the most common type of rosacea, this condition is characterized by skin flushing, but blood vessels on the face may also become more visible.

These symptoms are caused by increased blood flow to the face. While erythematotelangiectatic rosacea often occurs intermittently at first, it can grow in frequency over time and even become chronic.

For this specific type of rosacea, topical creams such as those containing brimonidine, a medication used to treat glaucoma, can be effective in patients with rosacea. Laser therapy may also help.

2. Papulopustular Rosacea

Papulopustular rosacea can mimic the appearance of acne, but it’s important not to mistake the two when it comes to treatment. People with this form of rosacea can experience blemishes or bumps or bumps that look like whiteheads. 

These blemishes may occur with the skin flushing that’s common in rosacea. In more severe cases, papulopustular rosacea can cause acne-like bumps on the neck and chest as well.

You may also use antibiotic therapy, topical creams, anti-inflammatory medications and trigger management to treat and manage this form of rosacea.

3. Phymatous Rosacea

Although less common, phymatous rosacea can dramatically affect the appearance of the skin. It can cause the skin to create swollen or discolored areas, such as on the nose. Thus, this type of rosacea is more common in men than in women. People who have this type of rosacea may need to pursue surgery to remove excess skin in the affected areas.

4. Ocular Rosacea

Ocular rosacea is what it sounds like—it affects the eyes, which can have a watery appearance and feel irritated, dry or sensitive. Eyes may also be bloodshot, and severe cases can cause cysts on the eyelids. Treatment for rosacea that affects the eyes may include therapeutic eye drops as well as avoiding triggers.

Available Treatments

Treatment for rosacea may include both medications and topical creams. And in more severe cases of rosacea, laser therapy or surgery may be necessary.

Which treatments are available to you will depend on what type of rosacea you have. For example, a medication called Mirvaso can help reduce redness and flushing by reducing blood flow to the face, which can help patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea. Still, not the blemishes are seen in papulopustular rosacea.

Laser therapy may also be an option. It works by hindering blood vessels in the face, which can help restrict blood flow. But this one may not be an appropriate treatment for every type of rosacea.

Identifying and managing your triggers can also be a crucial part of treatment for rosacea, as can knowing your skin type, using the right skincare products and protecting your skin from the sun.

But can rosacea be cured? For patients who successfully manage their triggers and pursue treatment early on, you can manage rosacea, but a cure does not exist to date.

Skincare Ingredients to Use and Avoid

Taking care of your skin may help reduce rosacea flare-ups. People with different types of rosacea may react to witch hazel, alcohol, fragrance and peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils in skincare products.

Even different acids, such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid, can be too harsh for people with rosacea. However, using soothing, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing ingredients can help nurture skin affected by rosacea.

These ingredients include: Niacinamide, aloe vera extract, chamomile, hyaluronic acid, green tea extract, licorice extract, ceramides, squalene and using physical sunscreen instead of chemical sunscreen.

Do You Have Rosacea?

Knowing your skin type can help you avoid the use of harsh products, which may trigger rosacea in some people. Remember, people with fair skin or sensitive skin may be more likely to develop rosacea. Do you know YOUR skin type? Take our free skincare quiz to learn what your type is today!

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