Put the Red to Bed: MIXTO laser closes Rosacea down

Rosacea is a terrible skin disease for those who suffer from it. Red cheeks, noses, chins, and even acne that flame with stress, wine or skincare. It’s a hereditary skin disease that also affects oil glands around the eye and can lead to painful dry eye and decreased vision. By the time you see rosacea in the mirror,  it has been simmering under the surface for at least a decade or two. Marked by chronic inflammation, it causes premature aging of the skin and ultimately, a thickened orange-peel skin appearance on noses and chins.

What causes it? It often runs in families especially if your background includes German or Irish ancestors. There is also good evidence to show that rosacea can be caused by an overgrowth a natural skin parasite called Demodex. Trust me, you do not want a look at these gnarly looking creatures that come out at night to feed on your dead, dry skin cells and eyelashes.

Is there a cure? There are few treatments available and even fewer that work. Patients that suffer from rosacea must be ULTRA careful about the skincare products they choose. They should avoid products with fragrance, propylene glycol, chemical sunblocks and other preservatives. They should avoid acidic products like glycolics, retinol and vitamin C when in the form of an acid (Build by Toyos Clinic’s IScience is safe for rosacea in the ester form. The IScience line was created clean for rosacea and sensitive skin). Antibiotics like doxycycline can help in the short term but cause disruption in the body’s natural gut biome. Metronidazole gel (Metrogel) has never been useful in my practice but compounded ivermectin (yes, that invermectin) on faces and even eyelids (in the appropriate formulation) can significantly reduce redness by reducing Demodex overgrowth.

Intense Pulsed Light gets at the root of the problem by targeting the hemoglobin in abnormal blood vessels and shutting them down. Treatments are every 2 weeks for 4 treatments or until rosacea is controlled. Maintenance IPLs are needed every 3-6 months. But IPL can really only target small caliber blood vessel, to get to the larger ones, the big guns are necessary: MIXTO CO2 laser to heat the skin with ultra-hot light beams (400 degrees Celsius) to more permanently shut down those abnormal blood vessels. The MIXTO can shut those rosacea vessels down for longer: many times up to 2 years to give you more relief PLUS all the anti-aging benefits that come with CO2 laser resurfacing.

Rosy cheeks are great for kids, but if your cheeks are red from rosacea get your skincare in order and look into IPL and MIXTO to put that red to bed. Consultation are free at Toyos Clinic in Memphis, Nashville and New York City. 615.327.4015