Rosacea

Rosacea is a common, but often misunderstood condition that is estimated to affect over 45 million people worldwide. It begins as erythema (flushing and redness) on the central face and across the cheeks, nose, or forehead, but can also less commonly affect the neck and chest.

As rosacea progresses, other symptoms can develop such as semi-permanent erythema (redness), telangiectasia (dilation of superficial blood vessels on the face), red domed papules (small bumps) and pustules, red gritty eyes (ocular rosacea), burning and stinging sensations, and in some advanced cases, a red lobulated nose (rhinophyma). The disorder can be confused and co-exist with acne vulgaris and/or seborrheic dermatitis. Rosacea affects both sexes, but is almost three times more common in women, and has a peak age of onset between 30 and 60.

Various oral and topical medications may be prescribed to treat the bumps, pimples and redness often associated with the disorder. Dr. Brodsky usually prescribes an initial treatment of oral antibiotics and topical therapy to bring the condition under immediate control, followed by long-term use of the topical therapy alone to maintain remission.

When appropriate, she treats Rosacea with lasers, intense pulsed light sources, or other medical and surgical devices.