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  • The Most Effective Treatments for Rosacea

    I've been a sufferer for a quarter of my life. For every single thing that has worked for me, there were three others that did nothing or made it worse. I've learned the ins and outs, and it is now gone from the #1 priority in my life down to somewhere in the teens. 8) I've educated myself so much on this topic, I consider myself an expert. These have been the three most effective treatments for me.

    Please post your most effective treatments (and for what symptoms they treat) and we'll get a big list going!

    For the chronic redness, burning, flushing and blushing:
    Intense Pulsed Light - I got 3 sessions with the Vasculight IPL and it made a dramatic difference. My severe Rosacea became somewhat manageable. I'm sure the new lasers of today are just as good, if not better.
    >>Educate yourself on Intense Pulsed Light

    For the slight burning, flushing, and blushing
    Red Light Therapy - Hours of total time under LLT put much of the palpable symptoms of Rosacea at bay.
    >> Educate yourself on Red Light Therapy

    For the remaining butterfly shaped light redness that never seems to go away since Rosacea first plagued me!
    Melanotan - The final knockout punch to this disease. Cover redness, makes us pale folk look healthier, and cover any acne scars (big plus for me!)
    >>Educate yourself on Melanotan

    EDIT as requested by fut July 20, 2008

    Knowledge of one owns body grows with age and i'm glad to say that I have become more astute to dealing with my skin problems. I'm very happy to add two more highly effective treatments for Rosacea. I'd also like to note that i've stopped one of my treatments.

    I've stopped Melanotan. Why? Melanotan has been wonderful to me and I would recommend it to people for immediate help with their symptoms. PLEASE read my other posts in regards to it. The reasons why I stopped, from most ipmportant to least:
    1) I've found better solutions!
    2) It's not natural. I've learned to take a more holistic approach to my my skin problems.
    3) If I choose to continue, it's like i've chosen to never stop. It only treats the symptoms of Rosacea (it treats all of the symptoms, by the way)
    4) Injecting does not feel good, neither does the occasional stomach discomfort a few hours after injecting.

    Now, on to the more important part...

    For the root of Rosacea, which means ALL symptoms
    Antioxidants - I have been drinking several cups of White and Green Tea a day. Not to mention an increase of fruit intake.
    >>Educate yourself on the link of Rosacea and Oxidative Stress

    Remember that Green Tea cream some people were mentioning as a 'cure'? I never believed it. Now i'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Even better would be to consume a diet rich in anti-oxidants. The easiest and most effective way? Incorporate white and green tea into your diet. I'll let the medical journals speak for themselves.

    The excessive production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) associated with inflammation leads to a condition of oxidative stress. [1]
    Skin is a major target of oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) that originate in the environment and in the skin itself. [2]
    Conclusion: Our results suggest that rosacea is an oxidative stress condition, as reflected by the increased ROS activity and decreased AOP, regardless of HP infection.[3]

    [1] http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/abstract/175/8/5423
    [2] http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs...30860260220175
    [3] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/lin...2.2004.02137.x


    Colon Hydrotherapy and Probiotics - I've had two colonics with an extremely knowledgeable and talented therapist Sharon Stone. I've included Live Active Cereal and non-fat yogurt into my diet.
    >>Educate yourself on Colon Hydrotherapy
    >>Educate yourself on Probiotics

    Remember the whole hype with the link between H. Pylori and Rosacea? Antibiotics are very helpful for many cases of Rosacea. Instead of using antibiotics which kill both good and bad bacteria, there is a better route.

    Note that 60% of feces is made up of bacteria. What happens when your body can't effectively get rid of this bacteria? Feces will literally dry up along the walls of your intestine. Your body will find other ways to get rid of it through our skin. After my first Colon Hydrotherapy, I was a believer. After each colonic I had, I saw improvements to my skin overnight.

    I hope this helps. I suggest a moderator add these two to my original post.
    Last edited by fut; 6th June 2008 at 09:58 PM.

    Hey everyone,

    I've been away for some time, traveling South America (Brazil and Argentina) - it hasn't been too comforting to go from the beach in Rio to the snow in New York, but i'm sure i'll adjust.

    I'm so glad that Melissa made this a sticky, because i'd love to add some more insight.

    At this point, my symptoms are the same as when I started this thread (with a small improvement in base redness). I don't want to exaggerate my relief, insinuating that my particular 'Most Effective Treatments' are the tell all cure. What I do know is this, with what i've learned from when I started this thread to what I know now, I now have the knowledge and tools that will help me completely cure my skin ailments. This takes time, the time it takes for anyone to cure any ailment, including Rosacea depends on three factors:

    1) How long you've been sick, internally
    2) How consistent you are with the lifestyle changes necessary to achieve optimal health
    3) How many more toxins you acquire along the way

    There are a few questions i've been asking myself, which with proper research, allowed me to find a proper answer that I am satisfied with.

    Question: Why are treatments like Red Light Therapy and Intensed Pulsed Light not complete cures, and why do many see their symptoms return after stopping these treatments?
    Answer: These modalities treat the symptoms, not the cause of the problem.
    There is a huge difference between Eastern and Western philosophies to treating ailments. Simply stated:
    * Western philosophy isolates and forces therapeutic actions to take place in the body.
    * Eastern philosophy depends upon whole-food formulas to nourish the body's ability to legislate needed actions.

    The action of RLT and IPL is to force the body to heal the specific symptoms that are being caused. (e.g. Destroying red blood cells so the body can create new, healthier red blood cells)

    Now, RLT and IPL both have their place - heck, they are two of the most effective treatments to treating Rosacea symptoms. However, it makes sense to me that while these light therapies provide temporary relief, they are not the tell all cure to all of your symptoms.


    Question: Why are many synthetic, Western drugs, such as antibiotics so helpful to many Rosacea sufferers?
    Answer: They destroy toxins
    I don't condone the use of antibiotics. They have their place in the Western philosophy of treating a wide range or ailments. When your body is under overload of toxins (e.g. Your immune system can't fight them all), the toxins will be sent away from the vital organs to protect them. Does it make sense that when you have a cold, your body is just reacting (immune response) to get rid of the toxins? You see this through mucous coming out of your nose and sneezing and coughing away toxins through your mouth. The same is for skin ailments - your body is reacting to toxins by getting rid of them through sweat, acne, Rosacea, etc.

    We need to understand that our body has been developing and evolving for thousands of years, and naturally finds ways to heal itself given the proper nutrients it needs. Antibiotics are aiding the body in handling something that it should be able to handle itself.

    Antibiotics are effectively destroying the toxins (bacteria, amongst other things) that would otherwise be released through your skin. Great, right? Not entirely, because
    1) You are destroying other things in your body that are naturally in place to aid your immune system. Antiobiotics are a double edged sword.
    2) Why do we, Rosacea sufferers, continually need anti biotics to fight off these toxins when other people don't need them? Why do we have an immune reaction as seen through Rosacea when others don't? Antibiotics are not the cure, they are still only helping the treatment of a symptom of something deeper.


    Question: What is the root cause of Rosacea? Is colon hydrotherapy and anti oxidants really treating this root?
    Answer: The root cause is the build up of toxins over a period of, for most, is many years. These toxins are then, as a natural reaction, being released through the skin which is seen as an inflammatory response on your skin. Colon hydrotherapy does not solve the root cause, and anti oxidants only touches the surface!

    Colon Hydrotherapy
    The colon of a healthy human is taken up by 85% healthy bacteria and 15% unhealthy bacteria (which is still naturally necessary for many of our bodies functions) The healthy balance of fluora that populates our colon is a large part of our immune system (along with the liver, gallbladder, and other vital organs) They sweep out toxins from foods and help get rid of them through the colon (#2) An unhealthy balance of fluora is the equivalent of a vital organ not functioning properly. Colon hydrotherapy cleans out the toxins in your colon, giving the immune system a temporary relief. However, if your immune system isn't strong enough, the same unhealthy balance of fluora will repopulate your colon.

    After getting my own colon hydrotherapies, I received dramatic improvements - no more acne, redness diminished greatly. This is because there weren't so many toxins in my body that had to be released through my skin. After I stopped for a few months, these symptoms came back!

    Anti Oxidants
    I provided a few links on oxidative stress and Rosacea in the original post of this sticky. Anti oxidants are a necessary and natural part of the human immune system. The natural and strongest forms of anti oxidants are Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C amongst others. These are all vitamins that have been proven to be necessary for the proper and healthy functioning of our body. Everyone, Rosacea sufferer or not, goes through some form of oxidative stress and anti oxidants are in place to fight this. This is part of our immune system.

    Here is where my original post and this one changes. Green tea is an example of an anti oxidant. But Green tea can only go so far as to treating the large oxidative stress that our bodies undergo as a result of what is causing Rosacea. Instead of supplementing with Green Tea, make sure you are getting every single vitamin and mineral that is necessary for the healthy immune function of a healthy person. All vitamins and minerals work together. No single vitamin or mineral works alone. Simply supplementing with Vitamin C, for example, will not build your immune system strong enough to fight off the toxins that are causing Rosacea!


    Question: But what about genetics? Rosacea has been proven to run in the family.
    Answer: It isn't genetics, it's health status!
    I hope this answer can provide some mental relief for many. The health of your parents from sperm to egg, to when you are born, to their lifestyle as you are growing up, all takes it's toll on you. If your father or mother has Rosacea, we now know that their bodies are naturally responding to the toxins in their bodies. You are born with the same health status as your parents. The foods they eat, the toxins they acquire, will also takes it's toll on you as you are growing up. If they eat a diet large in refined carbohydrates and sugars (foods which people on this board have seen relief by avoiding) then chances are, you have been eating this same type of food for how many ever years you've been living in their household. Again, let me reiterate what I said earlier about Rosacea. Rosacea is an immune response that could have taken several years to brew in your body. The sugary cereals you were eating as a kid produces toxins. If all of these toxins were not fought off by your immune system(which can start weak from when you first born), these toxins slowly build up and your body will find other ways of getting rid of it.

    Well there you have my thoughts for the past few months. If you have any questions feel free to ask

    -George
    Last edited by Melissa W; 28 January 2009, 10:29 PM. Reason: merging posts per request of poster

  • #2
    Good thread fut.

    My top treatments are:

    Antibiotics (Oxytetracycline/Minocycline). I began with severe papulo-pustular rosacea. These have effectively suppressed most p&p's, for 3 years and counting.

    IPL (Lumenis Quantumn, Dr Patterson; 4 sessions, continuing). The reduction of base redness and spider veins has been slow but steady, progressive and cumulative. The general texture/health of the skin (pore-size, propensity to break out, reactivity) has improved similarly.

    1001 small lifestyle changes. Impossible to quantify, or even confidently correlate with any particular improvement; individually probably insignificant, but combined, it is highly likely these have made a difference, at the very least in facilitating the success of the above treatments (in a rough-ish order of importance):

    Using a mild cleanser & not having long hot showers & not towelling skin hard; giving up smoking (from 15-20 a day to none); giving up excess coffee (from 6 or so strong cups a day to one); vastly reducing alcohol (from average 4 units a day to rarely); getting proper sleep (from often going without for several days to regular); eating healthily including mineral supplementation; stopping hallucinogenic/psychedelic drugs (from regular to none). In short, ceasing to abuse my body.

    Comment


    • #3
      Oral antibiotics - clear my pimples 100% in a few days
      ZZ cream and/or sugar out of my diet - got rid of nose redness for now

      Comment


      • #4
        Great thread Fut!

        I am still in the process of finding what works for me but up to this point here it is:

        1. VBeam (5 so far) to help with the intensity and duration of my flushing and burning which were intolerable.

        2. Solodyn (45 mg of minocycline) for 14 months which helped with p&p's and some inflammation. I d/c'd the mino about a month ago and sadly, may have to resume it or try Oracea but I am trying to find something else that works for me first.

        That's it so far.
        I am currently doing RLT (since Oct 15th) and am hoping that will kick in soon with some positive results.

        Melissa

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi there, here are my best treatments...

          1. IPL (Dr Crouch), 5 treatments so far. much reduced redness and flushing... (now including N-light to chase out the paps and seb derm.)

          2. Finacea, amazing for my paps

          3. (Not really a treatment but so effective I thought I'd add anyway.) Eliminating triggers. For me these are grapes, oranges, sugar, fruit juice, any quantity of fruit.
          dx early 2006.
          current stategy;
          finacea (on occasional spot), 20+ x IPL and 17+ low level PDL (n-light)

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Moomy,
            Do you have n-light straight after your IPL, or or days/weeks after?

            Comment


            • #7
              In order of effectiveness:

              1. Avoiding triggers, especially fat-soluable supplements and nitrite food additives. This includes reducing multivitamins to just once/week.

              2. Changing my work environment - keep it cool, much less fluorescent light, and a computer monitor that emits very little radiation.

              3. Caffeine in the form of green tea extract.

              4. Washing in warm water with moisturizing soap.

              5. Daily zinc and B-complex supplements.

              6. Rosacea Care moisturizer.

              1,000mg Solgar MSM
              25mg diphenhydramine
              Rosacea Care moisturizer, tinted ZincO
              I avoid multi-vitamins and most other high-dose vitamins and supplements, oil-based supplements (like omega 3/6, A, and E), nitrite preservatives, sugar, fruit, milk, exercising in a warm room

              Less is more!

              Comment


              • #8
                Initial treatment:
                Doxycycline & Gemini

                Long term treatment:
                Red Light Therapy & MetroCream

                Avoid:
                Coffee, dairy, sugar, heat, environmental toxins

                Happiness is a choice.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Most effective treatments --- I need to do all at the same time to get the best results. My skin has not flared up for a long time.

                  Bactrim --- stops deep inflammed p&p's, redness, flare-ups

                  Spironolactone --- stops hormone driven p&p's

                  Metrogel --- soothing to skin and calms down surface p&p's and redness

                  Anti-inflammatory diet --- Calms whole system, especially skin (no sugary foods, caffiene, white flours, dairy, fruit juices, red meats, fast foods, margarines, or hot foods)

                  Mild cleanser/no lotions --- calms skin (Cetaphil Gentle Face Wash)

                  Yoga --- calms system which in turn calms skin and reaction to stressors

                  c
                  Bactrim (phasing out), Spironolactone 1x/day, Retin-a cream .05% in the p.m., Neutrogena Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, avoid dairy and usual Rosacea triggers.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    My top treatment:

                    BETAINE HCL to increase stomach acid
                    TRADITIONAL CHINESE ACCUPUNTURE to increase digestion
                    SKINOREN 20% creme 3 times daily
                    LIFESTYLE changes: no sugar, no lamb meat, no red meat, no red wine

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Most Effective Treatments for Rosacea

                      Originally posted by chucky
                      [

                      what is Melanotan???
                      There's a lot posted here on it, you may want to do a search to get the info on it.

                      Originally posted by claudia
                      Yoga --- calms system which in turn calms skin and reaction to stressors
                      I am just learning to practice the Eka Pada Rajakapotasana -- I think I'll get there in about 20 years or so! Maybe. But the benefits are already wonderful.

                      Happiness is a choice.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        For me, effective are doxycycline 50 mg and Finacea. Both reduced papules and redness.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by TheMediumDog
                          Good thread fut.

                          stopping hallucinogenic/psychedelic drugs (from regular to none). In short, ceasing to abuse my body.

                          This is interesting. Why stop these drugs? I am not aware that they would cause any flushing nor too many physical effects at all? Maybe a little nausea with one but ..

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Knowledge of one owns body grows with age and i'm glad to say that I have become more astute to dealing with my skin problems. I'm very happy to add two more highly effective treatments for Rosacea. I'd also like to note that i've stopped one of my treatments.

                            I've stopped Melanotan. Why? Melanotan has been wonderful to me and I would recommend it to people for immediate help with their symptoms. PLEASE read my other posts in regards to it. The reasons why I stopped, from most ipmportant to least:
                            1) I've found better solutions!
                            2) It's not natural. I've learned to take a more holistic approach to my my skin problems.
                            3) If I choose to continue, it's like i've chosen to never stop. It only treats the symptoms of Rosacea (it treats all of the symptoms, by the way)
                            4) Injecting does not feel good, neither does the occasional stomach discomfort a few hours after injecting.

                            Now, on to the more important part...

                            For the root of Rosacea, which means ALL symptoms
                            Antioxidants - I have been drinking several cups of White and Green Tea a day. Not to mention an increase of fruit intake.
                            >>Educate yourself on the link of Rosacea and Oxidative Stress

                            Remember that Green Tea cream some people were mentioning as a 'cure'? I never believed it. Now i'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Even better would be to consume a diet rich in anti-oxidants. The easiest and most effective way? Incorporate white and green tea into your diet. I'll let the medical journals speak for themselves.

                            The excessive production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) associated with inflammation leads to a condition of oxidative stress. [1]
                            Skin is a major target of oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) that originate in the environment and in the skin itself. [2]
                            Conclusion: Our results suggest that rosacea is an oxidative stress condition, as reflected by the increased ROS activity and decreased AOP, regardless of HP infection.[3]

                            [1] http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/abstract/175/8/5423
                            [2] http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs...30860260220175
                            [3] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/lin...2.2004.02137.x


                            Colon Hydrotherapy and Probiotics - I've had two colonics with an extremely knowledgeable and talented therapist Sharon Stone. I've included Live Active Cereal and non-fat yogurt into my diet.
                            >>Educate yourself on Colon Hydrotherapy
                            >>Educate yourself on Probiotics

                            Remember the whole hype with the link between H. Pylori and Rosacea? Antibiotics are very helpful for many cases of Rosacea. Instead of using antibiotics which kill both good and bad bacteria, there is a better route.

                            Note that 60% of feces is made up of bacteria. What happens when your body can't effectively get rid of this bacteria? Feces will literally dry up along the walls of your intestine. Your body will find other ways to get rid of it through our skin. After my first Colon Hydrotherapy, I was a believer. After each colonic I had, I saw improvements to my skin overnight.

                            I hope this helps. I suggest a moderator add these two to my original post.
                            Last edited by fut; 7 June 2008, 01:58 AM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              What's helped me

                              • IPL with Dr Soldo in Arizona and Dr Johnson in Tennessee. Lots of IPL. Staying cool with a fan on my face between IPL, and good air conditioning. It takes a long time and it costs a lot and it's removed all the permanent redness from my face.

                              • Staying in a cool environment and always having a fan with me to shut down flushes.

                              • More fruit, vegetables, oily fish, and fiber foods; less meat, no dairy, almost no sugar, no simple carbohydrates, tons of water. No alcohol; caffeine; garlic; vinegar; citrus; soy; tahini; pepper; pizza; chili; spices; tomatoes, pineapple, yogurt.

                              • Red Light therapy. Daily for almost four months now. Goes a long way towards shutting down the flushes. IPL did a great job removing the redness, but red light seems to be what lessens the flushes. Seems like I need them both to be effective.

                              • Drugs. Oracea, Zebeta (beta blocker); clonazepam; occasional Xanax for social occasions; probiotics; zyrtec (antihistamine H1 blocker), benadryl (antihistamine).

                              I was a mess four years ago when I started IPL. I'm almost normal now, except I will flush with prolonged exposure to temperatures over abut 77 degrees. I still need it to be 70 or below to exercise or I will flush. But I look normal and can go places, which I used to not be able to do.

                              I would advise folks to try all these things and to be patient and get really good air conditioning. It was a long time before these therapies worked well for me, but they did work, and there is hope.

                              Good luck.

                              -wc
                              • 58 yr old woman
                              • Rosacea at 48, debilitating at 52
                              • Clonidine 100mgc ev. 8 hrs;
                              • Remeron 15mg nightly;
                              • Zebeta=Bisoprolol=Beta blocker 5mg nightly;
                              • Brimonidine worked well initially, then MASSIVE rebound flushing and damage;
                              • Countless IPL with Lumenis One;
                              • Now purpuric V Beam with Candela Perfecta; more clearance, less downtime than IPL;
                              • Botox (with mesotherapy needles), good not great results;
                              • Monthly Kenalog injection to blunt debilitating flushing.

                              Comment

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