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, with the mention that in the case of black complexions the identification is more difficult and often delayed. Yet, there is not enough clinical evidence to support the idea that acne rosacea affects fair-skinned people most of the times.
The acne lesions 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. The skin is usually very oily too, yet there are some major differences between acne rosacea and acne vulgaris. In traditional acne forms, comedones are widely spread, whereas with rosacea they don't even appear in the flush areas. Moreover, acne rosacea is characterized by hypertrophy which is not found with acne vulgaris.
Unlike regular acne forms, acne rosacea is a chronic disease that evolves in time, sometimes extending over years. Most often, topical corticosteroids are applied to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and to improve the overall condition, but they cannot be prescribed for long-term therapy because of the risk to cause an atrophy or permanent vaso-dilation of the tissues. Most doctors will therefore choose to recommend 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. Electrocautery and the tunable dye laser procedure represent the two main solutions under the circumstances, but one could also choose excision, skin grafting, dermabrasion ands so on. Do not postpone the treatment of acne rosacea because the more time passes, the more difficult will be to cure it.
