Looking for antibiotics for rosacea? In this article, we outline everything you need to know about antibiotics and rosacea.
Rosacea is an increasingly common skin condition that affects an estimated 16 million Americans every year. And this condition is not just cute rosy cheeks. It can get so severe that it affects people’s quality of life. It can be distressing, physically painful, and incredibly frustrating to deal with. If you’re looking for rosacea solutions you’ve made it to the right place.
Here at Strut Health, we offer custom rosacea solutions that combine prescription anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antiparasitic components -- all in one bottle.
If you want to know how antibiotics could potentially help treat your rosacea, read on.
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that commonly affects the face and may cause redness, irritation, and acne-like breakouts.
This skin condition commonly affects those who have fair skin and are over the age of 30. While rosacea can affect anyone, it disproportionately affects women.
Symptoms can come and go as flare-ups are often triggered by an external factor. There is currently no cure for rosacea but symptoms can be managed with lifestyle changes to avoid triggers and the use of medicated creams or oral medications.
One common method of treating rosacea is the use of topical and oral antibiotics.
When it comes to rosacea, antibiotics are not necessarily used to control bacteria. Antibiotics are primarily used for their anti-inflammatory effects.
Generally, antibiotics are delivered topically through creams, but depending on your type of rosacea, oral antibiotics may be used. If oral antibiotics are used, it’s not a long-term solution -- the goal is to get the patient to where only topical creams are needed to maintain treatment.
Alongside avoiding triggers, adjusting your diet, and committing to sun protection -- antibiotics can also help treat rosacea. Unlike oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics are considered the first-line defense for rosacea.
Here are a few that are commonly used for the treatment of rosacea.
Metronidazole cream 0.75% has been shown to reduce redness and reduces acne-like breakouts containing papules and pustules. In trials, this topical antibiotic was used in those with moderate to severe rosacea with significant treatment success. This antibiotic is used to treat both rosacea subtypes 1 (flushing and redness) and 2 (acne-like breakouts).
Learn more: Topical Metronidazole for Rosacea
Ivermectin cream 1% is useful for the treatment of mild to moderate rosacea. This anti-inflammatory has an antiparasitic and antimicrobial effect that has been shown effective as a treatment for rosacea. Topical ivermectin also has a positive effect on Demodex mites which have been found to play a big role in rosacea-related inflammation.
Learn more: Demodex Mites & Rosacea: The Microbes Linked To Rosacea
Dapsone is another topical antibiotic that is used to help reduce inflammation in rosacea. In the US dapsone is approved for the treatment of rosacea, and in Australia, it’s used for acne treatment. This topical antibiotic gel can be applied for up to 12 weeks.
Generally, oral antibiotics are only used for papulopustular rosacea and are often used as a last resort.
Since these antibiotics are not used to get rid of bacteria, they are used at sub-antimicrobial doses to instead take advantage of the anti-inflammatory properties. Sub-antimicrobial doses are also used to lessen the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Doxycycline is the most common antibiotic used orally for rosacea patients. Again, oral antibiotics are normally the last resort but are at times required to reduce pustules and papules associated with rosacea subtype 2.
In 2003, after studies demonstrated that doxycycline, at sub-antimicrobial doses, was effective for treating acne without disturbing the skin flora -- researchers began testing it with rosacea patients. Now, doxycycline is sometimes used, for its anti-inflammatory effects, when treating severe acne-like breakouts caused by papulopustular rosacea.
Strut Health creates custom rosacea formulas that may contain topical antibiotics such as metronidazole and ivermectin. These antibiotics for rosacea may work alongside the anti-inflammatory azelaic acid and vasoconstrictor oxymetazoline.
Our creams are tailored to you so you can get back to feeling your best. If you want to find out if you could benefit from topical antibiotics for rosacea, simply complete a questionnaire-based online doctor's consultation to see if our treatments are right for you.
If our doctors find this is a good fit for you, we’ll ship your prescription to your doorstep with our fast and free shipping.
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