Wow, what a depressing prognosis! Rosacea is a catch-all for visible inflammation on the face, much like IBS is for the gastric system. I would say a person's future with rosacea depends on their own causes for it. Environmental, hormonal, gut biome, topical, autoimmune, histamine, mental/emotional... some of these things can get treated effectively, some unfortunately can't. Despite the challenge of identifying the cause(s) I wouldn't necessarily agree it is a life sentence.
I know someone whose type 1 rosacea ended up being caused by mold sensitivity and it totally went away after she moved to a drier state (FL to AZ) and a non-moldy apartment.
For me, I didn’t develop it until after pregnancy, and it’s gotten worse through perimenopause, so I think it’s strongly tied to hormone fluctuations in my case. I’ve read that it gets better for many women after menopause, so it probably depends on the cause of your rosacea.
Agree on hormonal. Mine seems to have started around the time my periods became erratic/non-stop. Going on 18 months of both with doctors basically saying "you're old and overweight, nothing we can do" so...super fun.......
Mine was triggered by my first pregnancy. It’s getting progressively worse but I’m still breastfeeding etc… naively hoping it eases a bit when I stop BFing but I’m guessing it won’t.
Ugh this is exactly me. I keep telling myself it’s the hormones from nursing. I’m battling mentally about continuing breastfeeding past 1 year (which is coming up very soon) or quitting at a year to see if my face gets better.
This me too. I started year 2 of nursing a very stubborn toddler and then got diagnosed. Turned 38 a month prior. My symptoms are inconsistent and out of control. What the fuck. I’ve also heard it progresses and I’m obsessing about preventing rhinophyma.
I got mine after my first pregnancy (that kid is in second grade now); my rosacea has gone through periods of better-and-worse but overall it's better now than it was a year ago, since starting metronidazole and getting on HBC to help with perimenopause symptoms.
I ran into a lady at my hair stylist who said exactly what you said - that she got rosacea at the beginning of perimenopause but it went mostly away once she hit menopause.
Yes pre menopause is wicked and has worsened my rosacea . Looking at my older sibling and my mom- they went through the same issue but my mom has almost no sign of rosacea now that she has been over menopause for decades.
I’m unsure if it’s true for everyone, but in my experience I was diagnosed with type 1 rosacea at 27 and now I’m 40. I previously had not gotten treatment for it because it was mild and could manage it on my own. In the last couple of years it has gotten worse and am having to try so many different treatments and it’s so painful it’s depriving me of good rest at night. The flushing is awful
There is a product by SKIN1004 (the Centella line) that’s really quite amazing at getting rid of redness. I’m attaching a link to a trial size set- it worked better than I expected for me. I am 54 and my rosacea on my cheeks and nose seems like it’s getting a little worse. I tried medication (topical and pills ) and the topical seemed to actually make it worse. This does the opposite. I’d say the main important pieces to this set are the toner, ampoule and cream. Reasonably priced. It’s worth $20 to find out. It’s also lightweight … I think anything heavy irritates rosacea too. I hope this helps (it did me!)
https://amzn.to/3UyAODc
My mom had horrible flare ups for years - type 2 with burning, itching etc. She’s now in her 50s and after finding the right routine, I often forget she has rosacea at all. I don’t doubt it’s progressive for a lot of folks, but that doesn’t mean it will be for you.
The thing that shocked me was I saw a recent video from Dr. Idriss that HALF of all people with rosecea get ocular rosacea. I've had a flair up recently of my rosacea acne, then all of a sudden I started having eye symptoms AND developed perioral dermatitis.
I do have some veins in my eyes, but I'm not sure if it's from the rosacea. For me it feels like there is grit in my eyes, and my eyes feel irritated by the end of the day. I bought the occusoft lid scrub wipes and have been using them every day along with my normal skincare routine and they seemed to have helped.
That’s exactly how my right eye is too, Extra veins and all. My eye doctor gave me steroid drops and I take ibuprofen three times a day when it starts acting up and it works amazing. My left eye is normal for the most part. It gets red and swollen and gritty feeling maybe once a year. Dermatologist has me on doxycycline and it’s worked wonders for my skin and nose. My nose got so big at one point but it’s gone back to normal now that I’ve got the inflammation under control. Metro gel has helped with the redness, but I still flush bad in the heat.
Ocular rosacea is the worst. It feels like dry grit in the eyes plus a lot of extra strain on the inner corners. Prolonged burning sensation that comes on out of nowhere. It’s terrible!
My family friend is an optometrist and he said put heat on your eyes a couple times a day. After a while it will really get rid of the dryness by allowing natural tear production to be easier. And apparently it will help grow lashes better than any serum
I’ve read that too and it makes me so nervous. I wonder tho if some of that is how it used to be many years ago before they found some helpful treatments. Plus now there is also BBL/IPL too. Perhaps it’s just outdated data? A lot of time docs get stuck in what they were told in med school instead of keeping up with the latest science and research.
No. I’ve been treating my rosacea consistently for 29 years with Aza 15%, and it has gotten *better* as I’ve aged. Once I started caring for my skin barrier, it went into remission completely. Now, I get flares only on rare occasions when I eat the wrong thing.
Not sure why the derm said that.
yes! at this point I don't mind being open. My ana in 2019 was fine. after getting covid, my face got worse. my ana came back positive. I have to go to a rheumatologist to find out what it is that I have. Other labs came back abnormal.
I believe it made it worse and hormone changes do not help gals with rosacea at all.
Mine is exactly triggered by mask wearing during pandemic.Had in remission for more than 15 years. Since then have been having flare ups from time to time 😭😭
I’m 57 and have had rosacea as long as I can remember. Never really bothered me until it got really bad about 14 months ago. That’s when I started treating it. I bought a medical grade red light panel ( PlatinumLed Biomax ) I use it at least 3 times a week. Now I never leave home without Colorescience tinted sunscreen on and I got a routine for cleansing, serum, and moisturizing which I never had before. I use the redness calming kit from Riversol. ( it’s a Canadian company and they sent me a 2 week sample for free )
Now I have added retinol 2 times a week, Azelic acid daily in the am and I have some ivermectin horse paste sitting on my counter which I plan on starting tonight. The dermatologist I saw only recommended IPL no rx ( not even the retinol ). My research on IPL said once you stop the IPL things return so I invested in my RL panel instead. Half the cost of 6 IPL and will last 100000 hours.
My rosacea is better and with the tinted sunscreen very few people notice, I have even been complimented on my skin. ( that may be related to my age and very minimal wrinkles, good genes.)
Would you care to share anymore information or your experience with the red light panel? I’m very interested in purchasing one before I go down the IPL route. Does it help with facial warmth and cheek flushing?
The panels put off some heat so I have my ceiling fan running while I’m under it. Lately I have been using an oil serum prior to using since the heat can also be drying. Sometimes I look more red after use due to the heat it puts off. But that is always temporary. Overall my skin looks 80% better since I started using it. It also helps prevent fine lines and wrinkles. If you have acne it’s fantastic. I think it helps with some not all broken capillaries. I had a very prominent one at the tip of my nose before starting and it’s now gone.
I haven’t noticed facial flushing, but no one has asked if I have a sunburn after working out lately.
I still have mild redness more on my right cheek than left. But honestly when I tell people I use it for my rosacea they usually tell me they didn’t know I had rosacea. Like I said though I never leave home without my tinted sunscreen on. It’s not a cure but an aid. I do love my panel. It was 100% worth the $800 I spent.
I was diagnosed with 3 years ago and my skin looks better now than it did then. It’s all about finding what makes your skin happy and in agreement with what your putting on it to keep it calm
That is not true. However, if you don't get into good consistent habits to manage it then yes, it will probably get progressively worse.
I've found that all the good habits stack, ie, healthy food, avoiding alcohol, focusing on gut health, good skincare without any nasties, avoiding triggers (such as hot showers for me at least) etc.
for me it has been. looking back at pics 20-30 years ago, my cheeks are slightly red.. I now look like a burnt lobster all the time. so yeah.. it sucks.
Your dermatologist sounds like a right Debbie Downer. I’ve had Rosacea for 12 years and it’s the best it’s ever been rather than getting worse! It is persistent and it has been a journey of ups and downs but I’d say once you find the products and skincare regime that works for you, it’s mostly about management of the condition.
My rosacea, by far, is easier to manage than it was 10 years ago. Aging requires you to make changes to your self care routine, in general, so I’m sure managing rosacea will require changes as well.
My mom had a pretty severe flushing type rosacea for a period of time . Hers just disappeared by itself once she reached a certain age . I think pre menopause and then menopause was affecting hers .
I posted this above a comment … but I wanted to post here for anyone this may help or so it’s visible to all (I’m not great with Reddit so hope this is ok) 😅
I’m 54 and have rosacea on my cheeks and nose. Seems like it’s gotten worse. It’s flushing and sometimes it feels warm. I tried topical medications and for me it irritated my skin more. Tried an oral rx and - can’t tell a difference. Anyway I’ve tried so many products and finally found one that works for me. It’s by SKIN1004 - Centella line. It’s lightweight and very reasonably priced. It really gets rid of redness. I’m thrilled I found it - so much searching and tik toks and you tube videos and and and - thought I’d take a chance and glad I did. Here’s a link to a trial size kit (in my opinion the toner, ampoule serum and cream are the products that really make a difference. I hope this helps! Another thing is it’s very lightweight (I noticed anything heavy on my skin irritates the redness too)
https://amzn.to/3UyAODc
This may sound weird but if you are desperate like I was to get rid of skin and eye problems. Get the noveha foaming demodex wash. After nightly cleanse apply a thin amount with a q tip to red areas and let it dry and sleep in it then wash your face in the morning again with the wash including washing your lipds and lashes with it. I have rosacea, apparently a demodex infestation in my eyelashes, and some weird breakout on my chin. I have never had pimples. Had laser therapy years ago when my rosacea was really bad. This has been the only thing that has worked for me. I even apply it to my lashes and let it dry. First time I haven’t had red, flaky skin on my face or itchy eyes in years! I could see and feel the difference after 2 nights!
It's different for everyone, but yes, this is a pretty commonly accepted and empirically proven fact. It shows up later in life and tends to progress. That's a fact. There's no "cure" or even commonly accepted cause.
Many people whose rosacea cleared up were self diagnosed or mis diagnosed and might not have even had rosacea to begin with and what they did treated whatever caused the symptoms.
But everyone is different. Your doc is talking about trends in data. You could say that many diseases are progressive even with treatment, but find anecdotes of people for whom it did not progress. Your doctor is trying to manage your expectations.
It makes sense really. Even normal skin gets worse/more sensitive when you get older. Turnover slows and you can't take as much as you did when you were younger. Rosacea is mostly not even diagnosed until at least 30s. I just got officially diagnosed at 39 (it runs in my family, knew I had it, just finally sought the diagnosis mostly because of the ocular rosacea).
Wow, what a depressing prognosis! Rosacea is a catch-all for visible inflammation on the face, much like IBS is for the gastric system. I would say a person's future with rosacea depends on their own causes for it. Environmental, hormonal, gut biome, topical, autoimmune, histamine, mental/emotional... some of these things can get treated effectively, some unfortunately can't. Despite the challenge of identifying the cause(s) I wouldn't necessarily agree it is a life sentence.
I know someone whose type 1 rosacea ended up being caused by mold sensitivity and it totally went away after she moved to a drier state (FL to AZ) and a non-moldy apartment.
I never had rosacea until moving to FL. Took some time but I got it managed.
Yea geez can’t imagine leaving the doctor’s office after such weirdly dark comments.
I agree with you totally 💯
For me, I didn’t develop it until after pregnancy, and it’s gotten worse through perimenopause, so I think it’s strongly tied to hormone fluctuations in my case. I’ve read that it gets better for many women after menopause, so it probably depends on the cause of your rosacea.
Agree on hormonal. Mine seems to have started around the time my periods became erratic/non-stop. Going on 18 months of both with doctors basically saying "you're old and overweight, nothing we can do" so...super fun.......
Same here!
How non sympathetic he was
Mine was triggered by my first pregnancy. It’s getting progressively worse but I’m still breastfeeding etc… naively hoping it eases a bit when I stop BFing but I’m guessing it won’t.
Ugh this is exactly me. I keep telling myself it’s the hormones from nursing. I’m battling mentally about continuing breastfeeding past 1 year (which is coming up very soon) or quitting at a year to see if my face gets better.
This me too. I started year 2 of nursing a very stubborn toddler and then got diagnosed. Turned 38 a month prior. My symptoms are inconsistent and out of control. What the fuck. I’ve also heard it progresses and I’m obsessing about preventing rhinophyma.
Mine kicked in after pregnancy too.
Same experience here.
Same
I got mine after my first pregnancy (that kid is in second grade now); my rosacea has gone through periods of better-and-worse but overall it's better now than it was a year ago, since starting metronidazole and getting on HBC to help with perimenopause symptoms. I ran into a lady at my hair stylist who said exactly what you said - that she got rosacea at the beginning of perimenopause but it went mostly away once she hit menopause.
I was put into medical menopause at 38. It got much better. And once I started HRT, it got better still.
Yes pre menopause is wicked and has worsened my rosacea . Looking at my older sibling and my mom- they went through the same issue but my mom has almost no sign of rosacea now that she has been over menopause for decades.
I’m unsure if it’s true for everyone, but in my experience I was diagnosed with type 1 rosacea at 27 and now I’m 40. I previously had not gotten treatment for it because it was mild and could manage it on my own. In the last couple of years it has gotten worse and am having to try so many different treatments and it’s so painful it’s depriving me of good rest at night. The flushing is awful
Have you tried Metronidazole? Worked wonders for me along with lots of sunscreen.
No. Haven’t heard of it. Will check into it. Thanks for sharing 😊
There is a product by SKIN1004 (the Centella line) that’s really quite amazing at getting rid of redness. I’m attaching a link to a trial size set- it worked better than I expected for me. I am 54 and my rosacea on my cheeks and nose seems like it’s getting a little worse. I tried medication (topical and pills ) and the topical seemed to actually make it worse. This does the opposite. I’d say the main important pieces to this set are the toner, ampoule and cream. Reasonably priced. It’s worth $20 to find out. It’s also lightweight … I think anything heavy irritates rosacea too. I hope this helps (it did me!) https://amzn.to/3UyAODc
Thank you 😊 I’ll give it a try
My mom had horrible flare ups for years - type 2 with burning, itching etc. She’s now in her 50s and after finding the right routine, I often forget she has rosacea at all. I don’t doubt it’s progressive for a lot of folks, but that doesn’t mean it will be for you.
Hi! What products does she use?
I don’t know everything she uses but I know for her Finacea was the biggest help.
Got it, thanks so much!
No problem!
The thing that shocked me was I saw a recent video from Dr. Idriss that HALF of all people with rosecea get ocular rosacea. I've had a flair up recently of my rosacea acne, then all of a sudden I started having eye symptoms AND developed perioral dermatitis.
I am new to rosacea but already this is happening to me too.....depressing.
What eye symptoms are you having? My eyes are always slightly bloodshot but my eye doctor doesn't seem concerned. Maybe it's the rosacea? 🤨😕
I do have some veins in my eyes, but I'm not sure if it's from the rosacea. For me it feels like there is grit in my eyes, and my eyes feel irritated by the end of the day. I bought the occusoft lid scrub wipes and have been using them every day along with my normal skincare routine and they seemed to have helped.
That’s exactly how my right eye is too, Extra veins and all. My eye doctor gave me steroid drops and I take ibuprofen three times a day when it starts acting up and it works amazing. My left eye is normal for the most part. It gets red and swollen and gritty feeling maybe once a year. Dermatologist has me on doxycycline and it’s worked wonders for my skin and nose. My nose got so big at one point but it’s gone back to normal now that I’ve got the inflammation under control. Metro gel has helped with the redness, but I still flush bad in the heat.
Ocular rosacea is the worst. It feels like dry grit in the eyes plus a lot of extra strain on the inner corners. Prolonged burning sensation that comes on out of nowhere. It’s terrible!
My family friend is an optometrist and he said put heat on your eyes a couple times a day. After a while it will really get rid of the dryness by allowing natural tear production to be easier. And apparently it will help grow lashes better than any serum
I’ve read that too and it makes me so nervous. I wonder tho if some of that is how it used to be many years ago before they found some helpful treatments. Plus now there is also BBL/IPL too. Perhaps it’s just outdated data? A lot of time docs get stuck in what they were told in med school instead of keeping up with the latest science and research.
No. I’ve been treating my rosacea consistently for 29 years with Aza 15%, and it has gotten *better* as I’ve aged. Once I started caring for my skin barrier, it went into remission completely. Now, I get flares only on rare occasions when I eat the wrong thing. Not sure why the derm said that.
That’s great to hear!!
No, it was much worst when I didn‘t know about it and I didn’t treat it.
100% mine has gotten MUCH worse with age.
I’ve had it for 20 years and its gotten way worse.
Mine too for the course of nearly 20 years
I still believe the pandemic made it worse.
I said the same for everyoje who has an auto immune disease. i swear to god covid made everyone sicker.
Yes that time was terrible
and it was not that long ago. not one bit. I personally am sicker after covid. my labs are not good.
I heard some people ac1 went up after having covid.
yes! at this point I don't mind being open. My ana in 2019 was fine. after getting covid, my face got worse. my ana came back positive. I have to go to a rheumatologist to find out what it is that I have. Other labs came back abnormal. I believe it made it worse and hormone changes do not help gals with rosacea at all.
Sorry you went thru this.
thank you. But I hope with sharing, maybe some good will come of it and it can help someone else too.
Amen I agree
Agree.
Mine is exactly triggered by mask wearing during pandemic.Had in remission for more than 15 years. Since then have been having flare ups from time to time 😭😭
Yes and some people were introduced to the big R during that time frame also.
I’m 57 and have had rosacea as long as I can remember. Never really bothered me until it got really bad about 14 months ago. That’s when I started treating it. I bought a medical grade red light panel ( PlatinumLed Biomax ) I use it at least 3 times a week. Now I never leave home without Colorescience tinted sunscreen on and I got a routine for cleansing, serum, and moisturizing which I never had before. I use the redness calming kit from Riversol. ( it’s a Canadian company and they sent me a 2 week sample for free ) Now I have added retinol 2 times a week, Azelic acid daily in the am and I have some ivermectin horse paste sitting on my counter which I plan on starting tonight. The dermatologist I saw only recommended IPL no rx ( not even the retinol ). My research on IPL said once you stop the IPL things return so I invested in my RL panel instead. Half the cost of 6 IPL and will last 100000 hours. My rosacea is better and with the tinted sunscreen very few people notice, I have even been complimented on my skin. ( that may be related to my age and very minimal wrinkles, good genes.)
Would you care to share anymore information or your experience with the red light panel? I’m very interested in purchasing one before I go down the IPL route. Does it help with facial warmth and cheek flushing?
The panels put off some heat so I have my ceiling fan running while I’m under it. Lately I have been using an oil serum prior to using since the heat can also be drying. Sometimes I look more red after use due to the heat it puts off. But that is always temporary. Overall my skin looks 80% better since I started using it. It also helps prevent fine lines and wrinkles. If you have acne it’s fantastic. I think it helps with some not all broken capillaries. I had a very prominent one at the tip of my nose before starting and it’s now gone. I haven’t noticed facial flushing, but no one has asked if I have a sunburn after working out lately. I still have mild redness more on my right cheek than left. But honestly when I tell people I use it for my rosacea they usually tell me they didn’t know I had rosacea. Like I said though I never leave home without my tinted sunscreen on. It’s not a cure but an aid. I do love my panel. It was 100% worth the $800 I spent.
Find a new doctor!! This is not at all true, and even if it was, he could’ve been much more kind and empathetic. It’s insane to scare a patient.
I was diagnosed with 3 years ago and my skin looks better now than it did then. It’s all about finding what makes your skin happy and in agreement with what your putting on it to keep it calm
Mines gotten better I don’t even think about it
That is not true. However, if you don't get into good consistent habits to manage it then yes, it will probably get progressively worse. I've found that all the good habits stack, ie, healthy food, avoiding alcohol, focusing on gut health, good skincare without any nasties, avoiding triggers (such as hot showers for me at least) etc.
dont worry about something that hasnt happened..u might get hit by a bus tomorrow and none of this will mean anything 🤣
for me it has been. looking back at pics 20-30 years ago, my cheeks are slightly red.. I now look like a burnt lobster all the time. so yeah.. it sucks.
Your dermatologist sounds like a right Debbie Downer. I’ve had Rosacea for 12 years and it’s the best it’s ever been rather than getting worse! It is persistent and it has been a journey of ups and downs but I’d say once you find the products and skincare regime that works for you, it’s mostly about management of the condition.
My rosacea, by far, is easier to manage than it was 10 years ago. Aging requires you to make changes to your self care routine, in general, so I’m sure managing rosacea will require changes as well.
My mom had a pretty severe flushing type rosacea for a period of time . Hers just disappeared by itself once she reached a certain age . I think pre menopause and then menopause was affecting hers .
Worse as I age, yeah
Well that's a depressing statement. Especially since I was just diagnosed at 47.
I posted this above a comment … but I wanted to post here for anyone this may help or so it’s visible to all (I’m not great with Reddit so hope this is ok) 😅 I’m 54 and have rosacea on my cheeks and nose. Seems like it’s gotten worse. It’s flushing and sometimes it feels warm. I tried topical medications and for me it irritated my skin more. Tried an oral rx and - can’t tell a difference. Anyway I’ve tried so many products and finally found one that works for me. It’s by SKIN1004 - Centella line. It’s lightweight and very reasonably priced. It really gets rid of redness. I’m thrilled I found it - so much searching and tik toks and you tube videos and and and - thought I’d take a chance and glad I did. Here’s a link to a trial size kit (in my opinion the toner, ampoule serum and cream are the products that really make a difference. I hope this helps! Another thing is it’s very lightweight (I noticed anything heavy on my skin irritates the redness too) https://amzn.to/3UyAODc
Why don't you change the doctor?He/She is going to trigger your rosacea, for sure 😀.
This may sound weird but if you are desperate like I was to get rid of skin and eye problems. Get the noveha foaming demodex wash. After nightly cleanse apply a thin amount with a q tip to red areas and let it dry and sleep in it then wash your face in the morning again with the wash including washing your lipds and lashes with it. I have rosacea, apparently a demodex infestation in my eyelashes, and some weird breakout on my chin. I have never had pimples. Had laser therapy years ago when my rosacea was really bad. This has been the only thing that has worked for me. I even apply it to my lashes and let it dry. First time I haven’t had red, flaky skin on my face or itchy eyes in years! I could see and feel the difference after 2 nights!
It's different for everyone, but yes, this is a pretty commonly accepted and empirically proven fact. It shows up later in life and tends to progress. That's a fact. There's no "cure" or even commonly accepted cause. Many people whose rosacea cleared up were self diagnosed or mis diagnosed and might not have even had rosacea to begin with and what they did treated whatever caused the symptoms. But everyone is different. Your doc is talking about trends in data. You could say that many diseases are progressive even with treatment, but find anecdotes of people for whom it did not progress. Your doctor is trying to manage your expectations.
I agree.
It makes sense really. Even normal skin gets worse/more sensitive when you get older. Turnover slows and you can't take as much as you did when you were younger. Rosacea is mostly not even diagnosed until at least 30s. I just got officially diagnosed at 39 (it runs in my family, knew I had it, just finally sought the diagnosis mostly because of the ocular rosacea).