Rosacea treatments At A Glance
- Best Results1-4 treatments
- Treatment Recovery0-3 days
- Procedure Time10-30 min
- Skin SpecialistDermal therapist, nurse, dermatologist
- Duration of ResultsWeeks to 12 months
- AnaestheticLaser cooling
- Back to WorkImmediately-2 days
- Cost$-$$
Rosacea
Rosacea, redness, broken capillaries, as well as flushing and blushing, are common medical conditions. Treating the cause and triggers of rosacea & facial redness is equally as important as getting the best laser treatments done. I see two peaks of rosacea in Brisbane, one in Winter, and the other in Spring. These are due to flare factors. Medicare partially covers the cost of laser treatment for rosacea.
FactsImportant facts on treating rosacea and facial redness
- Rosacea is a form of ‘adult acne
- It can present as pimples, redness, flushing, broken capillaries, and even excessive skin production of the nose
- Lasers can decrease redness, flushing, and blushing as well as broken capillaries
- The use of correct anti-inflammatory skin care & avoidance of flare factors is equally as important in the management of rosacea
- My team can guide you in regards to an optimal, individualized rosacea management program, suited for your skin type
- Everyone will have their own pattern of rosacea including red noses, pimples, blushing, diffuse capillaries, sensitive skin, and even eye symptoms.
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea, unlike acne is a chronic (life long) condition, however the good news is that it can be effectively controlled with lifestyle changes, diet, products and of course laser.
Rosacea can present in several ways- redness & broken capillaries, pimples, and thickening of the skin – especially on the nose.
How common is rosacea?
Up to 10% of the population suffer from this condition- especially if you live in Queensland as the high UV index contributes to this condition. In Brisbane, rosacea is seasonal- most patients present in the months of Winter and Spring. Famous people who suffer from rosacea include Princess Diana and President Clinton.
This condition is genetic, modified by environmental factors & internal factors such as stress. The aim of rosacea management is to increase the duration of remission periods.
What treatments are there for rosacea?
The main stay of treating rosacea is the avoidance of trigger factors such as foods, stress, UV and products that can irritate your skin (toners, SLS, and other chemicals).
The second tier is to use anti-inflammatory creams & tablets. La Roache Posay provide and excellent range of products for rosacea prone skin. In some cases, anti-inflammatory prescription medication maybe required.
The third method is with laser- this is especially useful if you have redness associated with rosacea, or thickened skin.
Prior to seeing a dermatologist, patients should see their GP for a trail of Rozex & antibiotics such as Doxycycline, Erythomycin or Minocycline.
Which is better, IPL or laser for rosacea?
90% of patients respond better to laser such as V BEAM 595 compared to IPL. This is because laser is more focused and accurate compared to IPL.
Additionally, laser treatment of rosacea and facial veins gives you a Medicare Rebate, whilst IPL does not.
Laser treatment is also more comfortable as a cooling spray is used prior to lasing. Most patients require between 2-3 sessions to control redness. Ideally laser should be combined with anti-inflammatory medications.
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Is laser a cure for rosacea?
No, laser plays an important role in the treatment of rosacea by decreasing redness, capillaries, excessive tissue and inflammation. It is only a part of the big picture of rosacea management. Other things to consider include-
- A customised skin care regime
- Avoidance of flare factors
- The correct make up
- Anti-inflammatory tablets and creams for flare ups
- Management of stress levels
For a comprehensive guide on how to manage rosacea before seeing a dermatologist, visit rosacea.org or have a read on the skin care section of this website.
Rosaea such as this can respond well to a combination of lasers and anti-inflammatory tablets.
How am I different from cosmetic clinics that provide rosacea treatments?
As a Specialist I understand the disorder of rosacea. I may not help everyone with laser therapy, but my success rate for reducing redness and flare ups is in the order of 92%.
I also advocate the best (and most often the most cost effective) products for your skin and will guide you thru the confusion of what to use to reduce redness and inflammation. For a product guide, visit the relevant section of this website.
I also have access to over half a dozen laser machines to treat redness, including 532 KTP, 595 Pulse Dye V Beam laser, 755 Alex lasers, 1064 Nd Yag for deep vessels, CO2 for thickened skin and even the simple IPL-BBL machines.
Rosacea awareness week. Here is a summary of skin rejuvenation for rosacea patients
Rosacea, treated with V BEAM Prima, by @candelamedicalanz
Vascular lasers are one of the most commonly utilised lasers in #dermatology
🔬Skin Science: It is complex. Essentially rosacea is genetic, with input from many external factors as listed below. Unlike the aetiology of #rosacea, skincare should be simple
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👉Avoid: retinol, retinoids, ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, glycolic, lactic acids
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👍🏻Use: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, resveratrol, azelaic acid
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👉Procedures to avoid: Microneedling, chemical peels
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👍🏻Procedures to optimize: Vascular lasers, IPL, BBL, pico
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😎Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane🇦🇺
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#faceuptorosacea #rosaceatips #sensitiveskin #sensitiveskincare #rosaceaskincare
#dermatologistbrisbane
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👉Settings 11 mm spot, 6 ms, 6.5 J
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🔫Laser: The V Beam is one of the best lasers for vascular work, primarily because of its dynamic cooling spray. I do have devices such as IPL/BBL & 1064 Nd Yag lasers with cooling plates but I personally don’t like them much
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👍🏻Advantage of spray: fire & forget, it’s on, it’s safe, it’s more comfortable for the patient
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👉Coupling gel & cooling plates: Adds many more steps as to what can go wrong
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👉Gel required
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👉Enough coupling gel needed
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👉Cooling plate needs to be cold
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👉Contact with the gel throughout the process
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👉No feedback if cooling is fault
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👉Then you gotta clean up your mess
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👍🏻Just my 2 cents worth on vascular lasers
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😎Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane🇦🇺
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#vbeam #vbeamprima #rosacea #rosaceatips #rosaceatreatment #roscaeacure #rosaceaskincare
#drdavinlim #dermatoloigstbrisbane #skinscience
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🔬Skin Science: Vascular lasers target haemoglobin. The bigger the number the deeper the penetration. My most frequently used wavelengths include 595 & 1064, occasionally 755 alex
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👉👍🏻Most Common Conditions: #rosacea, post acne marks - PIE/ post inflammatory erythema, active inflammatory #acne (adjunct to medical), teles, #spidernaevi, vascular birthmarks including #portwinestains, post surgical redness, #stretchmarks (red-early), red bits of #poikiloderma & vascular component of #melasma. In general most red conditions can be improved-treated with vascular lasers
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💯Skincare: Is important for prevention. Sunscreen can help with many red conditions including rosacea, melasma, PIE from acne & even photosensitive seb derm. Simple cleansers & moisturizer best for rosacea. I don’t use topicals such as brimonidine - #Mirvaso as the rebound rate is too high. Usual anti-inflammatory such as #azelaicacid as adjunctive management in some cases
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🎬Action: Book with my clinical team @cliniccutis. They will find a solution for your redness. We have 5 vascular energy devices covering 595 to 1064 nm plus IPL/BBL, hence in the majority of cases redness can be easily treated ! I am happy to see complex or resistant cases including birthmarks
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😎Dr Davin Lim
Brisbane, 🇦🇺
@drdavinlim
@cliniccutis
#skinscience #beautyscience #dermatology #dermatologist #brisbanedermatologist #laserrejuvenation #drdavinlim #davinlim #rosaceatips #rosaceaskincare #rosacealaser
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👀Rosacea triggers: These are as individual as you are. Getting to know and learn what triggers your rosacea will give you an edge over this common skin disorder. Triggers include sun-UV exposure, stress, heat, wind, exercise, ETOH, foods, changes of weather, wind, & skin care products (esp acidic or low pH products)
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🥵Sensitive skin + Rosacea: For my rosacea patients, I normally start you on #niacinamide before other topicals, as this compound is anti-inflammatory. B3 can be combined with other topicals as long as the pH is over 5.0. #retinol with caution, #ascorbicacid with EXTREME caution. For further information discuss your skin care issues with my clinical team @cliniccutis
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🔍Who to see if you have rosacea? Your family physician can guide you with treatments, including the use of topicals such as #rozex & azelaic acid. Tabs include anti-inflammatory meds can be prescribed by your GP. Vascular lasers & #IPL can reduce both inflammation as well as redness associated with rosacea. Attempt to control your condition with the usual topicals & tabs prior to seeing a dermo
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💉Last line treatments: Patients that fail laser can give #Botox & #tixel a trial or micro-Botox with #aquagold
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😎Dr Davin Lim, Dermatologist
Brisbane. Australia
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#skincare #skinscience #healthyskin #skinscience #rosaceaskincare #nomorered #skincarescience #drdavinlim #davinlim
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Disclaimer: I am a procedural dermatologist, namely I laser-lase, inject, & cut. Skin care, though important, is not my usual occupation. I do give out sensible advice pertaining to your procedure. For an in-depth analysis of topicals, discuss your concerns with my clinical team @cliniccutis 👍🏻💯or discuss medical options with your dermatologist
What are the best products for rosacea?
Simple anti- inflammatory products are best for rosacea patients. We advice the LRP or La Roche Posay range of cleansers, sunscreen and anti-inflammatory creams.
As simple skin care routine for rosacea patients include:
AM: Cleanser, SPF
PM: Cleanser & Azelaic Acid. Niacinamide alternate nights.
Weekly: Gentle physical exfoliation
Stay well away from toners, scrubs, exfoliants, and eyes creams- these can worsen rosacea. More on rosacea skin care in the skin care section of this site.
Can anti-wrinkle injections treat rosacea?
Yes, however this is not first line treatment. Lasers & IPL together with appropriate medication & life style changes are first line. Botox can be trialed as third line therapy. It works by modifying blood vessels in patients with dilated capillaries. Additionally Botox modifies inflammation.
I deliver micro-Botox via Tixel (open channel dermal drug delivery) or with Aquagold delivery. Botox works in 50-60% of cases, remission can be up to 4-6 months.
Can foods and stress flare up rosacea and facial redness?
Yes. The most common flare up factors are –
1.Stress
2. Foods such as alcohol, spicy foods, and sweets
3. Change of seasons– as well as temperature changes
4. UV exposure– note that the right side of your face is redder than the left? This is due to sun exposure. (sunscreen is super important in the management of rosacea.)
For more on flare factors associated with rosacea, visit rosacea.org for more information. Keeping a daily rosacea diary will help you identify flare factors.
What are the simple skin-care tips and make up rules for rosacea patients?
- Never clean with alcohol
- Never use a toner
- Avoid Vitamin A creams in high strength
- Never exfoliate with BHA or AHAs
- Don t scrub
- Keep showers less than 3 minutes
- Always use a sunscreen
- Mineral make up is best for rosacea prone skin
How do I approach skin rejuvenation in patients with rosacea?
The best way to approach anti-aging in rosacea patients is with laser & light modalities. This is because the vast majority of rosacea patients can not tolerate creams & chemical peels.
Lasers such as Fraxel, Clear & Brilliant, Pico, Vascular Prima & HALO laser resurfacing are best. Other devices I employ include Tixel resurfacing & RF devices for skin tightening. For more on how we approach skin rejuvenation, book an appointment with my clinical nurses @cliniccutis
What is rhinophyma rosacea?
This is the very extreme of rosacea and presents as thickening of the nose. This is usually seen in men over the age of 50, treatments such as laser resurfacing & surgery can make a dramatic difference. Dr Davin Lim is one of Australia’s leading rhinophyma experts.
This form of rosacea is treated with ablative laser resurfacing, namely CO2 & erbium lasers. I also treat severe cases with diathermy.
How much are rosacea treatments?
Laser treatments will vary in pricing – if they are conducted by a Specialist Dermatologist, Medicare will provide a percentage of the rebate back.
Cleansers, anti-inflammatory creams and moisturisers are not expensive – on average you will be spending $1.90 cent a day to keep you skin healthy and rosacea free.
My preferred product line for rosacea patients is La Roche Posay, they make good products at an affordable price.
Does Medicare cover rosacea and redness treatments?
Yes. The average out of pocket cost for laser is $420 per session.
There are several rulings to this- firstly they must be performed by a Specialist. Additionally only lasers are allowed (IPL is not a laser and hence it can not be claimed on Medicare.)
There are other rulings such as how visible your veins – redness are at a nominated distance. 90% of rosacea patients will be within the Medicare guidelines, so treatments can be subsidised.
For patients who are on budget, contact Clinic Cutis for an appointment with my clinical team. They employ the same lasers & settings that I use, albeit half the price.
Davin’s viewpoint on treating rosacea and redness
Dr Davin Lim
Laser Dermatologist
Brisbane
Rosacea, facial redness and broken capillaries are one of the common conditions that I treat. There are two distinct peaks of rosacea- one during winter and the other in spring. Changes in temperature & UV exposure account for the flare ups.
Most patients do not realise that this is a medical condition and that patients can get a rebate from Medicare.
Education of the patient is the first step I take. Identifying and avoiding flare factors forms the basis of treatments. The second step is to use anti- inflammatory medications, such as vitamins, tablets, and creams. Foods such as alcohol, spicy foods, and life’s luxuries like chocolate can flare rosacea, and these have to be approached in moderation. Lasers play a small but important role in reducing redness, & capillaries. I find that laser over IPL treatment is more effective for rosacea. Patients with rhinophyma are referred for CO2 laser resurfacing.
