ASK THE EXPERTS
SKIN AND FACIAL EXPERT
Dr Emma Gardette is a dermatologist at The Medical Chambers in Kensington (themedicalchambers.com), with a special expertise in skin cancer screening.
Q I’ve had rosacea on and off for years, but recently the symptoms have become really bad. What’s the best way to treat it?
A Rosacea is a chronic facial dermatitis and can evolve in flares. There are two main components to understand in rosacea: with the vascular component, patients often experience flushing and blushing, facial redness and persistent broken vessels on the skin (sometimes known as spider veins). Triggers should be avoided and this usually includes sun exposure, changes of temperature, spicy food, caffeine and exercise. Brimonidine gel can help reduce the facial redness by temporarily constricting the blood vessels. It has a very quick action and has to be applied thinly and evenly to the face every morning. However, some patients describe paradoxical reactions with increased redness and burning sensations. Vascular laser or intense pulse light are very effective at
