Rosacea or “Teenager Skin” Breakouts? One Woman’s Road to Rosacea Relief

Posted on: By: nrs-admin

For over 30 years, Maren, a life-long resident of Fort Smith, Arkansas, has dedicated her life to her career as a nurse, teaching people to take care of themselves. “I love being able to help people, I love teaching and helping people learn how to take care of themselves,” she says. But for the past 18 years, Maren had neglected taking care of herself.

Maren is one of the estimated 16 million Americans who suffers from a common but often misunderstood skin condition called rosacea. “I started to notice bumps and blemishes on my face that I initially thought were hormone related because I had just started menopause,” says Maren. “I was worried that I was going to have ‘teenager skin’ again, so I tried everything I could to treat it, including acne medications.”

Bumps and blemishes, some of the most common symptoms of rosacea, are also some of the most common causes of confusion about the skin condition. Many rosacea patients mistakenly self-diagnose themselves as having acne; however, the two disorders require different treatment, and acne medications may cause rosacea symptoms to get worse.

Over time, Maren noticed that her symptoms started to worsen, and what was once only a physical annoyance, was starting to have an effect on her socially and emotionally as well. Maren remembers, “Because of the visibility of my symptoms, I felt uncomfortable about my physical appearance at work in front of my coworkers and patients. I was self-conscious because of the way I looked, and any stress made the symptoms worse.” In a National Rosacea Society (NRS) survey of over 1,066 rosacea patients, emotional stress was found to affect 79% of sufferers, and in a separate survey conducted by the NRS, 51% of patients with severe rosacea have missed work due to their symptoms.

Finally, two years ago, Maren sought out professional help and was officially diagnosed with rosacea. “It was a relief to find out I had something that was treatable, and that I knew I could take care of,” she says. Maren’s doctor prescribed Soolantra® (ivermectin) Cream, 1%, and Oracea® (doxycycline, USP) 40mg* Capsules to treat the physical symptoms Maren was experiencing:

  • Soolantra Cream – A once-daily, prescription topical treatment for the inflammatory lesions of rosacea. Soolantra Cream may start working as early as week two, with continued improvement with long-term use.

  • Oracea Capsules – A convenient, once-daily oral treatment for the bumps and blemishes of rosacea. Oracea Capsules work from within to target and treat the inflammatory lesions of rosacea in adults.

It is important for individuals who think they may have rosacea to visit a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Maren did, and now she has one less thing to worry about when she is helping her own patients. “I think the most important thing for people to realize is that you don’t have to just live with your rosacea and try to cover it up. There is something you can do about it.”

Watch Maren’s story here. To learn more about rosacea, visit RosaceaRelief.com.

Important Safety Information (Soolantra® Cream)
Indication: SOOLANTRA® (ivermectin) Cream, 1% is indicated for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea. Not for oral, ophthalmic or intravaginal use. Adverse Events: In clinical trials with SOOLANTRA Cream, the most common adverse reactions (incidence ≤1%) included skin burning sensation and skin irritation.

Full Prescribing Information

Important Safety Information (Oracea® Capsules)
Indication: ORACEA® (doxycycline, USP) 40 mg* Capsules are indicated for the treatment of only inflammatory lesions (papules and pustules) of rosacea in adult patients. ORACEA Capsules do not lessen the facial redness caused by rosacea. Adverse Events: In controlled clinical studies, the most commonly reported adverse events (>2%) in patients treated with ORACEA Capsules were nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, diarrhea, hypertension and aspartate aminotransferase increase. Warnings/Precautions: ORACEA Capsules should not be used to treat or prevent infections. ORACEA Capsules should not be taken by patients who have a known hypersensitivity to doxycycline or other tetracyclines. ORACEA Capsules should not be taken during pregnancy, by nursing mothers, or during tooth development (up to the age of 8 years). Although photosensitivity was not observed in clinical trials, ORACEA Capsules patients should minimize or avoid exposure to natural or artificial sunlight. The efficacy of ORACEA Capsules treatment beyond 16 weeks and safety beyond 9 months have not been established.

*30 mg immediate release & 10 mg delayed release beads

Full Prescribing Information

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