A flaunting and stigmatizing disease, rosacea is often experienced as an inevitability. With patients who isolate themselves and see their quality of life deteriorate. However, there are effective therapeutic solutions. What are they ? What are some good tips to follow?
Redness, rosacea, spots similar to acne… Rosacea is above all a real aesthetic detriment. “ It is a chronic inflammatory disease which affects the face with red and inflammatory lesions ,” explains Dr Philippe Beaulieu, dermatologist in Pontoise (95). Particularly noticeable, rosacea affects 2% to 3% of the population in France. “ Mostly women and people with a light phototype ,” specifies Dr Beaulieu.
The illness causes significant psychological suffering, with repercussions in all dimensions of the patients' social life. A real burden little known and above all little recognized. Rosacea remains underdiagnosed and therefore undertreated. “ It’s all the more annoying since today there are therapeutic solutions that have proven their effectiveness and that relieve the symptoms of rosacea. »
What care pathway?
For Dr Philippe Beaulieu, “ it is essential that patients receive the correct diagnosis from a dermatologist in order to benefit from therapeutic solutions ”. But not only that, the doctor's empathy is crucial to better understand the physical and psychological impact of rosacea.
Once the disease is diagnosed, different therapeutic approaches can be proposed. With the aim of aiming for healing. For this, specialists use a score called IGA. If the latter is 0, the patient is considered cured and 1 as “almost cured”. This last score is not sufficient because the patient's feelings about their illness remain negative, even with a single pimple or a single redness. This is why each patient must be treated individually in order to offer them the most suitable treatment.
What treatments?
In order to achieve the IGA 0 score, doctors have several weapons at their disposal. “ The treatment is based on both a local and general approach ,” indicates Dr Beaulieu. “ There are anti-inflammatory molecules and local treatments based on antiparasitics. These treatments last several months and therefore require good compliance to be effective. » In other words, they must be taken for the full duration and in the right dose.
Practical advice to limit flare-ups
Beyond the treatment, several tips and tricks allow you to preserve your skin but also to limit the impact of a flare-up. “ For example, we recommend using cosmetics suitable for rosacea. Furthermore, different factors linked to the environment such as cold, temperature changes, solar radiation can be the cause of an outbreak. For treatment to be as effective as possible, these factors should be taken into account. » Finally, patients must be careful not to consume too many stimulants such as coffee, alcohol, spices, etc.
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Source : Interview with Dr Philippe Beaulieu
