Rosacea Treatment

One of the first treatments for rosacea is to eliminate from your diet or lifestyle whatever triggers the flare-ups, such as alcohol, stress, spicy foods, and sun exposure. It may be helpful to keep a diary of what you eat, drink, and have done during the day and to note the days on which the rosacea appears. Then you can take the record to your next doctor's appointment and discuss lifestyle changes that can help you control the disease.
Antibiotic creams and sometimes oral antibiotics are used to treat the pimples that develop. Antibiotic creams, however, may cause burning and stinging for some people, who may find oral antibiotics, such as tetracycline, a better option. Women who are pregnant should not use some antibiotic creams or tetracycline.
If antibiotics don't control your rosacea, other medications, such as isotretinoin (Accutane) or tretinoin cream (Retin-A), may be used, unless you are pregnant. Laser therapy may be helpful in treating the red lines (telangiectasia) of rosacea, but it is usually used only in advanced cases. Dermabrasion, cryosurgery, or laser surgery may be used to treat advanced cases of rhinophyma.
About half of the people who have rosacea also have eye irritation. Oral antibiotics and topical corticosteroids may be used to treat eye problems.
When outdoors, always wear sunscreen to control flare-ups. Also avoid heavy cosmetics and irritating skin care products.