How to Treat Rosacea
Strategies that help lessen flushing and breakouts, and even head them off
Millions of adults live with the facial flushing, dilated blood vessels, and pimplelike bumpy breakouts that come with rosacea. And research suggests that these symptoms often worsen or even appear for the first time after age 50. Rosacea can flare up in response to a variety of triggers (such as sun exposure), which can make it seem unpredictable and frustrating to manage.
Because rosacea involves both inflammation and the skin’s blood vessels, effective treatment often incorporates a combination of approaches. Here’s what to know about rosacea’s symptoms and causes, plus how to tame the redness and bumps.
What Is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes persistent facial redness, primarily on the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. Some people get breakouts of bumps called papules and pustules. While these may contain pus, they don’t have whiteheads or blackheads like true acne, says Roberta Lucas, MD, a dermatologist with Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, N.H.
4 Ways to Get Relief
There’s no cure for rosacea, but various therapies may improve symptoms. Many primary care providers can treat mild symptoms, but if yours are severe or don’t improve over time, go to a dermatologist. The right treatment depends on the type and severity of your rosacea. What to know and do:
• Avoid triggers. This is the first step to take. Limit alcohol consumption, extreme temperatures, and spicy food, and try to manage your stress levels. To prevent sun damage that can worsen rosacea symptoms, Bunimovich recommends wearing sunscreen daily, staying out of midday sun, and wearing a wide-brim hat outdoors. Avoid potentially irritating skin care products, use a gentle, pH-balancing cleanser (not a soap), and moisturize your face daily.
• Try topicals. Gels and creams can help with redness. Ivermectin cream targets the overgrowth of demodex. Metronidazole is a topical antibiotic that reduces inflammation. Both are usually covered by insurance and are safe for older adults. For metronidazole, Harvey prefers creams for older adults. “Your skin gets drier as you age, and gels are often more drying than creams,” she says. And note: While steroids are known to reduce other forms of inflammation, Lucas says they make rosacea worse.
• Consider oral meds. Lucas says a course of low-dose oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline, can quickly reduce inflammation and improve symptoms of severe rosacea. Beta-blockers, such as carvedilol and propranolol, are typically used to reduce high blood pressure but can also help with flushing by making blood vessels less reactive to triggers. These drugs may carry additional risks for older adults, however, and can interact with other medications.
• Laser therapy is a last resort. For especially severe rosacea symptoms, laser therapy, which uses heat to destroy surface blood vessels contributing to skin redness, can help—but it can cause uncomfortable short-term facial swelling or bruising. Laser treatment is considered cosmetic, so Bunimovich says it’s usually not covered by insurance. One treatment can cost several hundred dollars, and it usually takes several sessions to keep symptoms at bay.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the July 2026 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.
