Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that afflicts approximately 16 million North Americans between the age of 30 and 65. An acne-like condition rosacea often has a significant psychological impact upon sufferers who report that the condition affects their self confidence negatively.

Rosacea typically starts with redness on the cheeks, chin, forehead or nose that can come and go. Occasionally rosacea can occur on the chest, ears, neck and scalp. In some cases the eyes can also be affected appearing bloodshot, dry and swollen. Over time the redness becomes more persistent and visible blood vessels appear. If the condition is not treated bumps and pimples develop and the skin can become tender and sensitive to touch. In severe cases the nose can grow swollen and bumpy from excess tissue (rhinophyma).

Although the condition can affect all people, fair-skinned individuals who blush or flush more easily are more prone to developing rosacea. While women are more likely to develop the condition than men, male sufferers tend to develop more severe symptoms.

Because rosacea varies from one patient to the next, a physician should determine treatment.

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment of rosacea has been shown to be an effective way of both reducing visible blood vessels and removing the thickening of the skin associated with rhinophyma.

To reduce the appearance of visible blood vessels the best results are achieved using an Nd:YAG laser. For those patients who want to reduce the thickening of the skin around the cheeks and nose an erbium laser is better suited since it is the workhorse for gentle facial resurfacing.

The Tuscany MedSpa laser Nd: YAG laser provides the widest range of vascular treatments available today with one laser system. Tuscany's laser therapy is based on selective photothermolysis where green Nd:YAG light is strongly absorbed in smaller, superficial blood vessels while the neighboring tissues remain unaffected. The Nd:YAG laser heats the interior of the blood vessels as well as vessels walls and thus irreversibly blocks the vessel.

Our lasers gently ablate the surface of the skin layer by layer without thermally affecting surrounding tissues. The result is the removal of most common superficial lesions, thermal rejuvenation and the stimulation of new collagen to give the skin a youthful and fresh look.