When was rosacea discovered

Early treatments for rosacea ran the gamut from blood-letting from veins in the arm, forehead and nose, to applying leeches on affected areas of the face. The use of topical treatments in the form of salves was first referred to in the 16th century. The first written reference to "acne rosacea" appeared in an English medical text by Dr.

Thomas Bateman in , and noted: "The perfect cure of acne rosacea is, in fact, never accomplished. Finally in , Dr. Henri G. Piffard, a professor of dermatology in New York, called for distinctions among different forms of acne to more truly differentiate symptoms. Today, dermatologists have learned that rosacea is a different disease from acne, and that therapy for acne can often make it worse. Although the precise cause of rosacea is still unknown, most experts believe it is a vascular disorder that seems to be related to flushing.

Gallo: Yes, dark-skinned patients, Black [people], and other patient populations with Fitzpatrick scores of IV to VI [rosacea has been very much underdiagnosed in], primarily because of an inability of many dermatologists to detect the erythema associated with rosacea on skin of color.

One of the biggest things we can do is increase awareness among dermatologists and improve training in residency programs to address that. Q: With all the concerns about accessibility and affordability, what can dermatologists do to match the right drug with the right patient?

Gallo: Drugs get on formulary partly based on cost of course—OK, largely based on costs—but also based on hard data for the pharmacists on the formulary committee to assess the efficacy of different drugs.

There needs to be increased support for research that clearly defines the benefits of alternative treatments, indicates to the people making the decision which drugs to include, defines what goes on in formulary, and identifies what different combinations of drugs need to be available for adequate treatment.

That is all essential for the best care of rosacea sufferers. Q: Will coronavirus disease COVID have a lingering impact on rosacea, including limiting research funding and the ability to conduct in vivo studies? Gallo: The necessary restrictions put in place to limit the pandemic greatly interfered with both laboratory-based and clinical trials. Governmental priorities for spending on medical research have shifted somewhat to those aligned with COVID— which, of course, I believe is appropriate.

There may be some opportunities there. Journal of the Academy of Dermatology. Briggs JK. Facial skin problems. In: Triage Protocols for Aging Adults. Wolters Kluwer; Li S, et al. Association of caffeine intake and caffeinated coffee consumption with risk of incident rosacea in women. Colloidal silver. Natural Medicines.

Accessed July 10, Emu oil. Gibson LE expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Rosacea resource center. American Academy of Dermatology.

Accessed May 26, Kelly AP, et al. Laser treatment. McGraw Hill; But they have some theories. Other things—like mites that live on the skin, an intestinal bug called H pylori common in those who have rosacea , and a reaction to a bacterium called bacillus oleronius—could also play a role in causing the condition. One study suggested an increased risk among smokers.

Though people of all ages and skin tones can get rosacea, fair skinned people between the ages of 30 and 50 with Celtic and Scandinavian ancestry and a family history of rosacea are more likely to develop the condition. But men are more likely to suffer from a rare rosacea side effect known as rhinophyma , which causes the skin of the nose to thicken and become bulbous.