Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes persistent redness and flushing of the face, especially the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Over time, it can lead to visible blood vessels, bumps and pimples, and swollen, thickened skin. Rosacea affects more than 3 million Canadians.

Rosacea causes “breakouts” that can easily be mistaken for acne. Here are a few ways to tell rosacea and acne apart:

• Rosacea bumps can look like pimples, but don’t have whiteheads or blackheads.
• Rosacea often irritates the eyes, causing bloodshot eyes and swollen eyelids.
• Redness from acne tends to surround breakouts, while rosacea causes larger areas of flushing.
• Rosacea makes the skin extra sensitive to skincare products, fragrances, cold weather, sweating, spicy food, and alcohol. 

Unfortunately, doctors haven’t nailed down the causes of rosacea. The leading theories are that this common skin condition is caused by an overactive immune system (meaning your body creates skin inflammation), genetics (meaning your genes make you more likely to experience rosacea), or the presence of certain bacteria on your skin that cause rosacea symptoms.

• A trigger is anything that causes the flushing, blushing and skin changes of rosacea. Often a change in body temperature — usually getting hotter — is involved.  Rosacea may be triggered by a variety of environmental and lifestyle factors as well.
• Environmental Triggers:

• Sun — Sun protection, especially for the face, is a must for rosacea sufferers.
• Cold weather — Canada’s winters are not kind to those with rosacea. Dry, cold air is harsh on the skin and triggers flare-ups and flushing.
• Hot, indoor spaces — Warm, crowded places can easily trigger a rosacea outbreak.

• Lifestyle Triggers:

• Alcohol — Avoid or minimize alcohol as this is a common trigger. Red wine is a frequently reported culprit.
• Spicy food — Curries and foods, dressings, or sauces made with chillies and hot or peppery spices or flavourings can trigger outbreaks.
• Emotions — Stress is a major cause of rosacea flare-ups.
• Skincare — Products that irritate the skin (sting or burn) including those containing alcohol and witch hazel.
• Exercise — Heavy exercise can easily trigger rosacea symptoms.
• Hot baths or saunas — Hot baths, showers, saunas, or hot tubs can bring on flushing.
• Hot drinks — Very hot drinks are a sure way to feel hot and set off flushing.

Absolutely, rosacea treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all and Felix healthcare practitioners will work to find what’s right for your skin. The Felix rosacea assessment may require you to securely upload photos of your skin for the doctor or nurse practitioner to review. These photos, along with the other medical information you provide, will usually be sufficient for the healthcare practitioner to craft an appropriate treatment plan. They may also follow up with some questions via secure chat (we’ll ping you via email if there are any messages in your inbox).

While there is no cure, rosacea can be controlled and the effects minimized. Treatment usually focuses both on controlling surface bacteria and decreasing skin inflammation symptoms with some combination of topical or oral treatments.

‍

Coverage varies greatly between different plans, provinces and has specific criteria that determine eligibility. We recommend that you upload your private and/or provincial benefit card during the online visit so that our pharmacy partner can apply any coverage you are eligible for before shipping your meds.