Tackling rosacea flare-ups — as well as a time when redness may be helpful — were discussed at the recent American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in Boston.

Dr. Hilary Baldwin, associate professor of dermatology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, presented on the phenomenon of “mask rosacea” during the pandemic. She noted that face masks may aggravate rosacea in several ways, including increasing temperature, humidity and sebum production; disrupting skin barrier function; and causing changes in the skin microbiome.

During a scientific session at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in Washington, DC in March, Dr. Yolanda Helfrich, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan, provided an overview of current treatment options for rosacea, and offered recommendations to physicians to keep in mind when evaluating a rosacea patient for the first time.

“There now appears to be substantial evidence that the innate immune system is playing a role in rosacea.”

Physicians at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting recently discussed new research on rosacea and its treatment.

Dr. Yolanda Helfrich, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan, provided an overview of new research, including the recently published update to the standard classification and pathophysiology of rosacea, and reviewed the new diagnostic criteria, and briefed physicians on lookalikes to rosacea’s redness, including visible blood vessels from sun damage.

Physicians at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology discussed the many factors that may influence the effectiveness of medical therapy. 

Antibiotic resistance remains a concern among physicians and patients alike, said Dr. James Del Rosso, adjunct clinical professor of dermatology, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He noted that dermatologists tend to use antibiotics with patients for a longer period of time because they typically are used for their anti-inflammatory effects rather than to treat an infection.