The red swollen nose of rosacea is a much hated symptom. I know that this was the symptom that I despised most and indeed drove me 10 years ago to start to look for good information about how to treat rosacea. Incidentally, this drive lead to the creation of the internet based Rosacea Support Group in 1998.
I hated that I looked like I had adult acne and a constant sun-burned nose. Especially as I have somewhat fair skin, a red nose stood out a mile away.
There has been quite a lot of interest in a article I wrote titled “how to cure a red face (facial erythema or redness)“. That article gave some tips on how to deal with general facial redness. What about a red and swollen nose ? What can you do to treat a red rosacea nose ? Read on for some suggestions.
A rosacea nose has the extra complication that one might end up suffering from rhinophyma. Although rare, rhinophyma is also a much hated symptom of rosacea. While we don’t know for sure how any particular rosacea sufferer’s symptoms will progress, reducing your inflammation and flushing is a good start to winning the battle.
Here are my top tips for dealing with the red nose of rosacea.
Rosacea-LTD III
Rosacea-LTD was one of my first discoveries after starting to look for treatments on the internet in 1998. They consist of compressed disks of sulfur and various salts. You wet your face and glide them over the skin, leaving a thin film. For me these `disks’ did a great job of reducing the papules and pustules on my nose. I could feel them shrinking all those acne looking lumps and bumps. As much of my redness was associated with my papules and pustules, this treatment was a good step in the right direction. I continued to use rosacea-ltd for several years.
Disclaimer: rosacea-ltd is a site sponsor of rosacea-support.org
Oral Antibiotics
If the nasal swelling is associated with the papules and pustules normally seen in rosacea, then systemic antibiotics along with topical metrogel or finacea may also be of benefit. Once the papules and pustules are under control, the associated swelling may be reduced enough to see an overall benefit in appearance. One of the newer antibiotics on the market is a low dose form of doxycycline called Oracea, which may be useful in helping to maintain a long term benefit from antibiotic usage.
Accutane
Accutane or roaccutane has been used for many years to treat cystic acne. There is a good body of evidence to say that you can successfully treat rosacea with accutane. Additionally there are some published papers that deal specifically with treating rhinophyma with accutane.
Isotretinoin has also been demonstrated to decrease nasal volume in rhinophyma. The most significant regression has been noted in younger patients with less advanced disease.
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Isotretinoin has also been demonstrated to decrease nasal volume in rhinophyma. The most significant regression has been noted in younger patients with less advanced disease.
Biopsy specimens from phymatous skin prior to isotretinoin therapy showed numerous large sebaceous glands. During isotretinoin therapy, the glands diminished in size and number. Other studies have confirmed the usefulness of isotretinoin for phymatous change.
Accutane is not a drug to be taken lightly. If you would like to try this as an option, the above references might help you find a doctor that can support you using this as a treatment option. You may also want to discuss the option of low-dose accutane with your doctor.
Covering Up
As you start to reduce the inflammation, you will probably also benefit from covering over some of the redness. Some options include the easily available Clinique Redness Solutions, or Eucerin Redness Relief which may be able to offer some relief from the redness. Additionally the green tinted version of the Tone Perfecting Cream may cover some redness.
Perhaps you can find some foundation or tinted moisturizer that you can also include in your daily regime. It might not be easily obtainable worldwide, but The Cancer Council in Australia has a range of tinted moisturiser SPF 25 that looks interesting. Don’t discount a liquid foundation as a possibility, even if you are a guy.
IPL and Lasers
We now know that IPL is excellent for treating a red face and broken blood vessels. Will any of the benefits of IPL also help a red swollen nose ? In general IPL and pulsed dye lasers are useful in reducing the redness flushing, burning, itching, dryness and swelling of rosacea.
The AAD suggests that for thickening of the skin on the nose and cheeks as seen in rhinophyma, the CO2 laser and erbium:YAG laser can be used.
Surgical Options
When the growth of the nose tissue becomes impossible to manage with topicals or isotretinion, surgical intervention can be an option. Surgery can naturally have its own risks. With the removal of extra tissue also comes the risk of scarring.
CO2 Laser
A 2004 paper; The Gold Standard for Decortication of Rhinophyma: Combined Erbium-YAG/CO2 Laser, details how the authors suggest that the combined YAG/CO2 laser is superior to other lasers, scalpel, radiotherapy and skin grafts in dealing with rhinophyma.
Also some related comments from the AAD page Is laser treatment right for your rosacea? ;
Some patients with longstanding rosacea develop thickening skin on the nose and cheeks, which is called rhinophyma. The CO2 laser and erbium:YAG laser can be used to remove this thickening skin and improve the contour of the nose. Other surgical procedures used to treat this condition include dermabrasion and excision with a scalpel. Treatment options may be combined to obtain best results.
Dermatologists recommend early treatment of rhinophyma to help prevent the condition from progressing and becoming more difficult to treat. In the advanced stages, rhinophyma can cause difficulty breathing through the nose. It also is possible for the nostrils to collapse.
Other Surgical Methods
A 2003 paper; New surgical adjuncts in the treatment of rhinophyma: the microdebrider and FloSeal details a novel technique using a standard microdebrider followed by a haemostatic sealant to eliminate bleeding.
Now Over to You
What have you found to be useful in your battles with a red nose ? Please help your fellow rosacea sufferers by leaving a comment below.
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119 Comments over 3 pages ↓
Newest rosacea false hope or real relief?–sea buckthorn oil. Anyone had any luck with it?
hey, i’ve had rosacea for the past 5 yrs and still have it at the age of 22. really knocks my confidence. i have a red nose with loads of paupals and its pretty greasy too. i take efracea thats it. now have some money to help treat it.
can anyone recommend a good dermatologist in london?
thank you
I have neuropathic rosacea and suffer with bouts of having a very red nose triggered by alcohol, heat, hot food, and hot drinks. I had laser the first time and it worked and now the second time it seems to have made it worse and the altered sensations are worse. He did a lower dose of the laser so don’t know if that made it worse? any ideas? I feel so depressed with it.
I have had mild rosacea for years. Recently it has occurred on the tip of my nose and is swollen and painful to the touch. I use Fineaca regularly. I am suffering from a severe outbreak as we speak. Unfortunately I have a job interview today and am very self consious with my “Rudolph” nose. Any concealer ideas?
Lately I have been using Regular Covergirl makeup on my nose. I know i had posted
Bobbi Brown and L’Oreal Perfect Match before but I think (in my case) the sunscreen
was aggravating it. Don’t use the Covergirl for Sensitive Skin! That made it more
red! Go figure! I like the lightest shade (ivory) and it actually feels good to put on.
Now for my latest, the Oracea helped a bit but not enough to keep up with expense.
The red clover I thought helped but I was still swollen weeks later. So– after being
sick of the Dermatologist visits and copay, I tried Elidel and got it on my own. This
is used for ecsema (spelling) but some have had success. There is a post about
not being effective (Protopic and Elidel are similar). However, after 4 days i see
some improvement with the tip of my nose. Very expensive thought and not to
be used extensively. We will beat this somehow someway. Hang in there and don’t
lose hope. Stay away from milk and high niacin cereals and coffee (also high in
niacin). It isn’t the caffeine in coffee. Coffee is a bean and FULL of niacin-a blood
capillary dialator. Good luck on your interview. Alex- lasers make it worse. It will
settle down though. Please try the Elidel presciption if you have to beg the doc
to at least try it!
Brenda – there is a great concealer you can get called Cover FX. I have tried loads and it is the only one that works. You need to get the girl on the counter to figure out which is the best colour etc but it is definitely worth the money. I dab it on with a brush and dont rub it in. I dont have any pustules – just redness and it works!
Jason – I have been recommended some Dermatologists at The Lister by a doctor I work with. I can give you their details but they will be expensive.
Thanks for the reply Alex! I will try the Cover FX. Do you know the name of the manufacturer? You know like Revlon or Max Factor.
The company that make it are Cover FX – House of Fraser sell it! Good luck!
Disenchanted!
I’m 57 now and have been fighting this red nose all my adult life. It is not as bad as some I’ve seen but red enough to make me realize that it has been a factor in how my life has evolved.
I know there are worse things that can happen to a person’s nose… (I once met a man who had no nose!) My pimply beak looked pretty good in comparison.
There are many “remedies” out there with really nothing that works all the time on everyone.
My experience with skin doctors has led me to believe that anyone with half a brain can become one! I had one tell me to quit drinking so much and smirked when I told him that I didn’t drink… He sent me for an ultrasound to see what condition my liver was in. Sure I had the last laugh but still have a red nose.
The only thing I have not tried yet is Lazer. I have been told that my nose is not bad enought for plastic surgery yet.
Oh! Another thing I read here awhile ago that I hadn’t tried yet was prayer.(?)
(I save that for more serious issues!)
Come on you useless bastards! Come up with something that WORKS!
comment via email from Joe.
“I have a new solution that has been fantastic for me. It is an inflammatory fighting lotion called ‘Two Old Goats’.
Look it up on the web to find a distributor near you.
A little on my nose twice a day has completely calmed my skin to be normal. If it doesn’t work for anyone else, then I have finally out-grown this thing.
Good luck, Joe”
i also have the rudulph nose.it started after i had rhinoplasy operation(straightening a broken nose)now my nose is bright red and its really starting to get me down.i have tried spot cream and things but none of them worked.i went to the doctor and they gave me antibiotics which i have to say worked.i took my dose and the redness went away but then came back after a week.so what would say is go to your doc get some antibiotics.i have heard tea tree oil works for reducing the redness aswell
first of all kevin i really enjoyed reading ur post,, i feel the same way doctors now days havent got a clue!!!!!
if any one on here is feeling the same way first step go to ur gp and ask for a beta blocker 2help wif the stress the check out the neo strara products or type in roscea and the first site i think is roscea care the calmin products should come up,, i tryed a sample kit of neo strara thanks to my wee sister who got me it but i thought id try the creams linked to roscea,, both r working amazing no shine,, ive only been using the calmin a few days now so ill re-post soon! good luck everyone!!!
NEVER GO DOWN THE LAZER WAY!!!! everyone do more research you will find that it makes the condition worse..
ive spend a bundle on different creams and they either make you worse or shin!
i flush and have a red nose its constantly on my mind 24/7 which is really taken effect on my social life
Reply via email from cyndipa
“What cream helped? Did you write neo strara? I never heard of that before. I had posted that I got Elidel via an online Rx for $127.00. I thought it was helping but after a few days the same old welts and spots.flared up/
Now I switched to amoxillin 250 mg. in the am and 250 before I go to bed. I also take alot of Vitamin A fish
oil but made sure I get the kind WITHOUT soy and tocopheryl (vitamin E used as a preservative). Vitamin E
makes it alot worse, I believe. My nose is constantly having little burning sensations and I am happy the
weather is cold lately. Happy holidays!”
neo strata bionic face cream the stuff is amazing,, im actually gona stick with it myself and just return the camin products! tho i havent tryed the face cleanser neo strata but no doubt it should b good,,
let me no how you get on!
hope this helps
You should try tinted zinco cream from
http://rosaceacare.com/products/zinco.html
It really calms the skin. I wear it everyday. I wouldn’t live without it.
I was using this with rosula cream. Does anybody know if rosula cream is still available? I was told it was discontinued. Rosula really worked for me. Now I am trying finacea. Is this a topical antibiotic? It works,but not as good as rosula, but still in first week of trying. It says to try for four weeks before making a decision.
Good luck everyone. It takes time.
After battling acne from age 10 (!) I now find I have acne rosacea. I use both Metrogel for the eruptions and Finacea for the redness; Finacea definitely takes time but it does work.
The biggest help was altering my diet–chocolate and ALL cheeses except cottage cheese. I love cheese so this was a biggie for me but I hate the rosacea more. You can get used to going chocolateless but cheeseless……):
I’d already been ordering half-cheese on pizza as a weight-control thing. no more bedtime cheese sandwiches; somehow cottage cheese sandwiches just aren’t the same. Couple weeks ago we got a free cheesecake and I couldn’t resist, ate most of it over a week’s time & sure enuf, am now dealing with an inflamed bump on side of nose.
Sometimes sugar will trigger my nose to flush, esp. late afternoon or evening.
Really glad I found this site.
To Andi, Finacea’s website says it’s made from naturally occuring azaleacic (spelling?) in a concentrated form. Don’t think it’s an antibiotic.
Was considering laser for acne scars but after hearing some of your cautions I’m taking my time.
hey everyone
wee update,,,,after using (propranolol beta blocker) my flushing is under controll ive even stopped using all creams, the only time i use a small drop of aveeno cream is at night after a shave
with the flushing stopped my face is looking normal i was even ask r u sick ur looking pale! i was over the moon couldnt stop smilling!
tho i still dont drink any alcohol i try 2watch my sugar intake and stay clear from spicey foods,, i still train at the gym thats the only time i will go slightly red but its nothing!
What is propranolol beta blocker and where do you get it? Diet does help. No
cheese or chocolate ecspecially.
propranolol can only be given to you by your gp,, my dosage was 10mg 1 tablet 3times per day but it wasnt really helping my heart palpitations (anxiety) so i ask to up the dosage. thats sceens to be really helping my skin as its not on my mind 24/7 so im not shining in the face which leads 2clogged pores