Esthetician’s Guide to Rosacea: What is Rosacea and How is it Treated?

This condition appears in the ASCP SkinPro app

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a genetic condition of the skin characterized by redness, dilation of blood vessels, and, in severe cases, formation of papules and pustules, primarily on the nose and cheeks. Symptoms vary depending on the type of rosacea.

Rosacea Symptoms and Characterization

• Characterized by flushing and persistent central facial erythema.
• Generally occurs in people over the age of 30.
• Primarily affects the nose and cheeks.
• Cause is unknown but thought to be genetic.

Characterized by flushing and persistent central facial erythema; telangiectasia is common.

There are several different types of rosacea including erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, rhinophyma, and ocular rosacea.

Generally, rosacea occurs in people over 30 years of age, and is more prevalent in light-colored skin.

Rosacea causes growth and expansion of blood vessels in the skin.

May be associated with demodex mites present on the skin, a misbalance of certain bacteria of the skin’s microbiome. These bacteria produce proteins thought to exacerbate flares.

Triggers for rosacea include all forms of heat or sun exposure, hot weather, stress, aggressive or stimulating skin care products, alcoholic beverages (especially red wine and spicy foods), and heat associated with exercise or outdoor exposure. Anything that increases circulation and blood flow of the facial skin can potentially trigger a flare-up of rosacea.

Rosacea Treatment Considerations

Proceed with caution when treating clients with rosacea and perform a thorough consultation to ensure there are no other underlying conditions that may be contributing to the flushing and persistent facial erythema.

• If your client is seeing a dermatologist or on medication to treat their condition, do not perform treatments or provide recommendations that would interfere with the advice of their doctor.
• Since those with rosacea may tend to overheat, check in regularly with your client to ensure their comfort.
• Avoid aggressive foamy cleansers.
  • In rosacea and sensitive skin, they can damage the barrier function, increasing inflammation.
  • Choose a low-foam or no-foam cleanser for clients with rosacea.

ASCP Members can access SkinPro to continue reading about rosacea.

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ASCP SkinPro

Introducing our newest resource for estheticians, ASCP SkinPro—a web app that can easily be saved to your mobile device!

Included with ASCP membership, ASCP SkinPro is designed to aid in skin analysis by putting the essential knowledge of contraindications for common skin-related conditions and ingredients at your fingertips. Members can log in for access or go directly to the app.

Picture this: You’re in the treatment room and a client tells you they have atopic dermatitis and several allergies. You’re pretty confident you know how to proceed with treatment, but you want to be absolutely sure. Simply open the app, search for the condition, and you’ve got expert information at your fingertips. You can also use ASCP SkinPro to look up ingredients quickly and easily, identifying important contraindications and best practices so you can adjust your treatment plan on the spot.

Consult with ASCP SkinPro with confidence and elevate your treatment plans. The ASCP team sourced information from a variety of clinical journals and worked with Dr. Mark Lees, author of Skin Care: Beyond the Basics and a longtime contributor to ASCP Skin Deep magazine, to bring it all together.

HOW DO ESTHETICIANS USE ASCP SKINPRO?

• During consultation: Your client mentions a condition or ingredient allergy during the intake process and want to contraindications.
• During skin analysis: You observe a skin condition and want to make a quick decision about the best treatment.
• While retailing: You’re about to recommend a product for your client, but you want to confirm the contraindications and ensure the product will perform as needed. 

HOW DO I SAVE ASCP SKINPRO TO MY PHONE?

ASCP SkinPro uses progressive web app technology so you can save it to your phone, mobile device, or computer like an app, but it won't take up too much space. The app can recognize the device that you're using, and the instructions provided will match that device. For example, if you want to save ASCP SkinPro to your phone, log in with your phone and follow the instructions provided. Click here for instructions.

Already an ASCP member? Take a few minutes to try ASCP SkinPro here and discover your new go-to consultant!

Not yet an ASCP member? Join ASCP and get ASCP SkinPro, ASCP Career Toolkits, ASCP Skin Deep magazine, and the best professional liability insurance in the profession!