Here are brief mentions of recently published papers that look interesting to rosacea sufferers.

1. Intense pulsed light in the treatment of non-aesthetic facial and neck vascular lesions: report of 85 cases

IPL treatments were given 4-6 times 3 weeks apart. 35 rosacea `lesions’ were studied overall. The abstract links the results of rosacea and Poikiloderma of Civatte together, saying that the vast majority of lesions showed a marked improvement after 12 months.

The study concludes “Our study confirms how by minimizing side-effects, time and costs, IPL can be effective and safe for the treatment of non-aesthetic facial and neck vascular lesions

2. Acne rosacea: effectiveness of 532 nm laser on the cosmetic appearance of the skin

Study looked at treating rosacea using 532 nm laser therapy with and without a retinaldehyde-based topical application. Half of the face was treated with just the laser and the other half of the face included the topical. At the end of the study evaluators who didn’t know which side was which was able to note the treated side in 47% of cases.

Hardly an astounding result, in fact one could say a disappointing result for those who suggested these sorts of topicals as an adjunct to laser therapy.

3. Stress and the skin

Stress can affect or even exacerbate skin conditions including rosacea, we are told. A direct pathophysiologic link between stress factors and cutaneous disease manifestation remains unclear but it is believed that stress influences the disease process through the release of neuropeptides, neurotrophins, lymphokines and other chemical mediators from nerve endings and dermal cells. The central role in cellular skin reactivity to various stressors might be attributed to dermal mast cells, as they show close connections with sensory nerve endings and may release a huge number of proinflammatory mediators.

Paper ends with the conclusion that the skin, edocrine, nervous and immune systems need to be treated together.