Rosacea Sufferers Found to Have Thicker Skin

Dr. Diane Thiboutot, professor of dermatology; Hilma Benjamin and Dr. Klaus Helm, Division of Dermatology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.

In a study of the moisture level, elasticity, skin thickness, extent of photodamage and other characteristics of rosacea skin, investigators found rosacea patients had thicker facial skin than normal subjects, which might be a result of edema (swelling). However, the researchers found no significant difference in skin water loss and elasticity between the 20 rosacea patients and 20 patients without rosacea.
Their questionnaire revealed that rosacea patients, who are often affected by sun exposure, were more likely to keep the upper body covered from the sun while doing outdoor work and were less likely to have had sunburns that required medical attention. Despite their apparently reduced sun exposure, however, those with rosacea had more visible blood vessels and blood vessels with a larger diameter.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a regulator of blood vessel growth that may be associated with sun exposure, was highly expressed in the sebaceous glands of the rosacea patients, Dr. Thiboutot said. She noted that previous research has found VEGF may be involved in the formation of visible blood vessels in rosacea, and that rosacea patients may therefore be especially sensitive to sunlight.