Rosacea sufferers could be due to see a new, effective treatment for the symptoms of their condition, after a recent study published in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery found that Botox may be effective in reducing facial redness.
The study was performed using a range of
Botox injections, from 15 to 45 total units. Almost all rosacea suffers involved in the study reported a reduction in inflammation, redness and flushing within just one week of injection. Plus, improvements continued for the subjects for up to six months after their Botox injections.
WHAT IS ROSACEA?
Rosacea is an incredibly common skin condition that causes redness and irritation, mostly in the cheek area. It is a chronic condition with no known cure, and although it is not necessarily harmful medically, the unpleasant redness and scarring caused by the condition can cause sufferers to lose confidence in their appearance. With around 16 million Americans currently suffering from rosacea, it is a major cosmetic issue and of great interest to the dermatological community.
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT TREATMENTS FOR MANAGING ROSACEA SYMPTOMS?
Currently, there are a few different things, including cosmetic treatments, that sufferers can do to control the symptoms of rosacea:
– Avoid triggers such as hot weather, alcohol, spicy foods, harsh skin products and stress
– Use specially formulated skin products which are designs to inhibit skin redness
– Undergo laser treatments such as IPL (intense pulsed light) Photofacial which works to smooth out redness and discoloration of the skin
WHEN WILL BOTOX BE AVAILABLE AS A TREATMENT FOR ROSACEA?
There is still a great deal of investigation needed into the efficiency of Botox in managing the symptoms of rosacea before it will be approved by the FDA as a suitable treatment for the condition. However, so far, the studies have been incredibly promising. In the most recent study, not only did subjects report a reduction in redness, but also stated that they didn’t experience any muscle weakness as a result of the injections.
Botox works by temporarily inhibiting nerve cell function in order to paralyze muscles. This allows it to smooth out wrinkles when it is used as an anti-aging treatment. In order to prevent these effects when using Botox as a treatment for rosacea, it is injected only intradermally rather than subdermally in order to prevent facial muscles from being affected.
We’re looking forward to hearing more about the potential for using Botox as a rosacea treatment, and hope that many chronic rosacea sufferers will be able to use this fantastic cosmetic treatment to overcome this common skin condition.