Book Appointment
Home » Services » Chinese Dermatology » Rosacea

Rosacea

Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes flushing or long-term redness on your face, it is defined as over angiogenesis (overproduction) of capillaries with thinning of the epidermis.

Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes flushing or long-term redness on your face, it is defined as over angiogenesis (overproduction) of capillaries with thinning of the epidermis. It also may cause enlarged blood vessels and small, pus-filled bumps. Some symptoms may flare for weeks to months and then go away for a while.

Symptoms of rosacea include

  • Facial redness and flushing. Rosacea can make your face flush more easily. Over time, you may notice that your face stays red. Depending on skin color, redness may be subtle or look more pink or purple.
  • Visible veins. Small blood vessels of the nose and cheeks break and become larger. These are also called spider veins. They may be subtle and hard to see, depending on skin color.
  • Swollen bumps. Many people with rosacea develop pimples on the face that look like acne. These bumps sometimes contain pus. They also may appear on the chest and back.
  • Burning sensation. The skin of the affected area may feel hot and tender.
  • Eye problems. Many people with rosacea also have dry, irritated, swollen eyes and eyelids. This is known as ocular rosacea. Eye symptoms may show up before, after or at the same time as skin symptoms.
  • Enlarged nose. Over time, rosacea can thicken the skin on the nose, causing the nose to look bigger. This condition also is called rhinophyma. It occurs more often in men than in women.

Triggers for Rosacea

  • Sunlight
  • Stress
  • Heat
  • Alcohol, especially red wine
  • Spicy foods
  • Some skin and hair care products
  • Some makeup
  • Wind and cold
  • Some medicines
  • Exercise
  • Hormonal fluctuation such as menopause and menstrual cycle

Rosacea and Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

Rosacea patients have a higher prevalence of SIBO than the general population, and when the bacterial overgrowth is eradicated with antibiotics, the resolution of skin lesions is almost 100% and persists for 9 months or more in about 8 out of every 10 patients.

Demodex Mites

Demodex Folliculorum are mites that live in our hair follicles; in patients with Rosacea, an overabundance of these mites in the nose, forehead and cheek areas can trigger the immune system. Keeping the PH of the skin in a healthy balance will suppress the mite’s overproduction.

Traditional Chinese Medicine’s point of view

The pattern diagnosis for Rosacea according to Chinese Medicine are:

  • Heat in the lungs/stomach – red popular rash of the cheeks
  • Toxic heat – red pustular rash with swelling of the nose
  • Blood-heat – Red papular rash aggravated before or during menstrual cycle
  • Blood stasis – Dark red or purple papular or pustular rash of cheeks and nose
  • Yin deficiency – malar flush
  • Yang rising – flushing that occurs when emotional

Treatment for Rosacea

  • Heal the gut (leaky gut)
  • Identify and avoid trigger
  • Treat SIBO
  • Balance Hormones (in menopause and menstrual cycles)
  • Acupuncture: In a case study patient with rosacea received acupuncture treatments, she experienced significant improvements in the region around the nose after 3 sessions of acupuncture treatment within the first week and reported that there was no relapse for 6 months after acupuncture treatment. The perfusion of blood flow was redistributed during and after acupuncture treatment according to laser Doppler measurements.
  • Chinese Herbology according to pattern: A study has shown a combination of Chinese herbal Medicine in addition to biomedical treatment of rosacea have been successful in reducing symptoms and lowering the reoccurrence rate compare to Biomedical treatment alone.