Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition, which causes pimples and a flushed appearance. Rosacea is similar to acne, although treatments between the two do differ. While the root causes of rosacea are not well understood many factors have come to light, and effective treatments for rosacea are available in Ottawa.
What causes rosacea?
In patients with rosacea, vessels of the face often dilate too quickly, which in turn increases blood at the surface of the skin causing the skin to appear redder and intensely flushed. Lifestyle factors, environmental causes, certain foods, including spicy cuisine, and red wine also appear worsen rosacea. Certain microbes on the skin may also play a role in rosacea.
What rosacea treatments are available in Ottawa?
At Concept Medical in Ottawa, intense pulsed light (IPL) is the mainstay of treatment for rosacea. IPL in Ottawa, (also known as photorejuvenation or photofacial), targets red and brown pigment in the skin with rapid and intense light-energy pulses. This unique and targeted energy penetrates below the surface of the skin and targets small blood vessels that are the cause of blushing and flushing in rosacea. For the pimples and pustules of rosacea both topical medications as well as oral medications are often effective. These help to decrease the amount of inflammation on the skin, evening out the skin’s texture. Often combining light based treatments such as IPL with topical or oral medications can provide an optimal benefit for patients in Ottawa.
Does IPL also help improve age spots and sun damage?
In addition to treating unpleasant rosacea, IPL has the ability to treat many other common skin conditions such as larger facial veins, large pores and sun damage. IPL or photofacials can also greatly improve the signs of aging including age sports and pigmentation irregularities. The heat energy from IPL decomposes the pigment in certain age spots into minute particles. This pigment then naturally sloughs off within a week following IPL treatment, in turn resulting in a more even toned appearance.
What should I expect after my IPL treatment?
Following your IPL treatment in Ottawa, there is no downtime or recovery time needed and your normal activities can continue immediately. The most common side effect experienced by patients is slight redness of treated area.
For more information on rosacea treatments in Ottawa, please contact our office.