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Do you constantly suffer from red cheeks, a bright red nose, and even acne that flares with stress, wine, or certain types of skincare? Those are all symptoms of rosacea, a terrible skin disease for those who suffer from it, like quite possibly, yourself.

Rosacea is a hereditary skin disease that can affect the oil glands around your eyes, which can cause you to experience painful dry eyes and a decrease in your vision. All these side effects are no fun, which is why  Haute Beauty expert Dr. Melissa Toyos is here to discuss rosacea and how the MIXTO laser can put what has been simmering under the surface to bed.

What causes it?

Marked by chronic inflammation, rosacea causes premature skin aging and, ultimately, a thickened orange-peel skin appearance on noses and chins, but what causes it, is a bit different.

Rosacea often runs in families, especially if your background includes German or Irish ancestors. There is also great evidence to show that rosacea can be caused by an overgrowth of a natural skin parasite called Demodex. Trust me, you do not want a look at these gnarly-looking creatures that come out at night to feed on your dead, dry skin cells and eyelashes.

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Treatment Options

Oral Supplements & Skincare Products 

There are few treatments available and even fewer that work. Patients that suffer from rosacea must be ULTRA careful about the skincare products they choose. They should avoid products with fragrance, propylene glycol, chemical sunblock, and other preservatives. They should also avoid acidic products like glycolic, retinol, and vitamin C when in the form of acid. What is safe for rosacea patients is Build by Toyos Clinic’s IScience in the ester form. The IScience line was created clean for rosacea and sensitive skin.

Antibiotics like doxycycline can help in the short term but cause disruption in the body’s natural gut biome. Metronidazole gel (Metrogel) has never been useful in my practice but compounded ivermectin (yes, that ivermectin) on faces and even eyelids (in the appropriate formulation) can significantly reduce redness by reducing Demodex overgrowth.

Laser Treatments 

Essentially, there are options in the form of oral supplements and skincare products. Regarding the treatments available for rosacea, Toyos Clinic focuses on Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and MIXTO CO2 laser.

Intense Pulsed Light gets at the root of the problem by targeting the hemoglobin in abnormal blood vessels and shutting them down. Treatments are every 2 weeks for 4 treatments or until rosacea is controlled. Maintenance IPLs are needed every 3-6 months. But IPL can really only target small caliber blood vessels, to get to the larger ones, the big guns are necessary: MIXTO CO2 laser to heat the skin with ultra-hot light beams (400 degrees Celsius) to more permanently shut down those abnormal blood vessels. The MIXTO can shut those rosacea vessels down for longer: many times up to 2 years, to give you more relief PLUS all the anti-aging benefits of CO2 laser resurfacing.

Rosy cheeks are great for kids, but if your cheeks are constantly red from rosacea, get your skincare in order and look into IPL and MIXTO to put that red to bed. Consultations at Toyos Clinic Hair Restoration are free in Memphis, Nashville, and New York City.