Rosacea Review - Newsletter of the National Rosacea SocietyRosacea Review - Newsletter of the National Rosacea Society

Published by the National Rosacea Society.
Editor: Dr. Julie Harper, president and owner, Dermatology and Skin Care Center of Birmingham
Managing Editor: Andrew Huff

Rosacea Review is a newsletter published by the National Rosacea Society for people with rosacea. The newsletter covers information pertaining to the disease and its control, including news on research, results of patient surveys, success stories, lifestyle and environmental factors, and tips on managing its signs and symptoms. To receive Rosacea Review by mail, please join the NRS. You can also sign up to receive the newsletter by email.

Spring 2008

Q&A: Oily Skin a Precursor & Immune System Link

Q. Is oily skin usually a precursor to rosacea?

A. There is no evidence that oily skin leads to rosacea. Many rosacea patients experience dry skin, while others may have normal or oily skin, or both. The key is to use skin-care products and procedures that are suitable for your individual case.

Q. Has rosacea been linked to other diseases, particularly those relating to the immune system?

Awareness Program Highlights Evidence of Rosacea's Impact and Prevalence

While rosacea has grown increasingly common as the baby boom generation enters the most susceptible ages, mounting evidence has shown that this conspicuous red-faced disorder may be more devastating and prevalent than widely believed. The National Rosacea Society (NRS) designated April as Rosacea Awareness Month to alert the public to this chronic and often embarrassing condition now estimated to affect well over 14 million Americans.

Studies Focus on Angiogenesis' Role

Results of two recent studies provide new understanding of how and when angiogenesis -- the formation of new blood vessels -- may contribute both to the initial development of rosacea and its persistent presence. In a study of skin samples with and without rosacea, taken from biopsies and evaluated under a microscope, Dr. Amal Gomaa and colleagues at Boston University found evidence of angiogenesis in both the blood and lymphatic circulatory systems in skin with rosacea lesions.1

Tips for Looking Your Best in Photos

Wedding and vacation seasons are fast approaching, and what would those times be without photographs? But many rosacea sufferers shy away from the camera, fearful of an unflattering photo. Here are some tips to put you back in the limelight.

  • Try camouflaging cosmetics. Green-tinted foundations, concealer sticks and green-tinted moisturizers can help counteract the redness of rosacea.

Survey Suggests Heredity Plays Part in Development of Rosacea

Rosacea tends to run in families and appears to be especially prevalent among those of northern European descent, according to results of a recent survey of 600 rosacea sufferers conducted by the National Rosacea Society. Nearly 52 percent of those responding to the survey said someone else in their family has or did have rosacea, and 42 percent indicated they were of Irish, German or English ancestry.

Student Project Raises Visibility

Pa Vang, the daughter of Hmong immigrants from the mountains of Laos who settled in Minnesota following the Vietnam War, does not fit the stereotypical mold of a rosacea patient -- who is often fair-skinned, older and of northern European descent. But the sophomore at the University of Minnesota-Morris who was diagnosed with rosacea in her early teens is doing her part to broaden the public's perception of the disorder and whom it affects.

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