Rosacea Treatment in Ann Arbor, Plymouth & Wixom

Rosacea is an inflammatory condition sometimes referred to as “adult acne” for the characteristic redness, flushed appearance, visible blood vessels, and pimple-like bumps it can produce on the face. Medical science doesn’t yet fully understand what causes this chronic inflammation and the painful symptoms associated with it. It may be related to your genetics, triggers in your environment, an issue in your immune system, or a combination of the three. Although there is no cure for rosacea, the highly experienced providers at Ganger Dermatology have a wealth of treatments and resources to control and manage the symptoms. Our office offers topical treatments, prescription medications, and light treatment with BBL to target rosacea’s most pervasive symptoms. We also work with each patient to identify common triggers that can make their condition worse.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, people of all ages and races can develop rosacea, but it is most common in people between ages 30 and 60, in people with fair skin, in women — especially during menopause — and in people with a family history of rosacea.

This is the most consequential distinction on the page, because rosacea is frequently treated as acne for months, and some standard acne treatments can make rosacea worse.

If you have bumps on your face but no blackheads or whiteheads, and your skin is red between the bumps, let us rule rosacea in or out before another course of acne treatment.

Ocular rosacea is the part of this condition people least expect and most often miss, because the symptoms do not obviously belong to a skin condition. It is common: the American Academy of Dermatology estimates that 50% of people who have rosacea will have a flare-up that affects their eyes.

What it looks like: eyes that feel dry, gritty, or as though something is in them; redness of the eye and the eyelid margins; crusting around the eyelids; sensitivity to light; and, in more significant cases, effects on vision. If you have rosacea and your eyes are persistently dry, irritated, or red, tell us — and if your vision is affected, do not wait for a routine appointment.

We offer prescription creams and gels, medication by mouth, and light treatment with BBL for rosacea’s most persistent symptoms, and we work with each patient to identify the triggers that make their condition worse. We match treatment to the parts of rosacea you have:

Individual results vary, and we adjust rosacea treatment over time.

Persistent facial redness and visible broken vessels are the symptoms people most want gone, and the ones least likely to respond to a cream or a tablet. Light treatment works differently: it targets the small vessels causing the redness while leaving the surrounding skin alone. We typically use BBL as a short series of sessions, and it addresses both diffuse redness and individual visible vessels.

• It treats the visible redness; it does not stop rosacea. New vessels can develop over time, particularly if triggers continue, so maintenance sessions are usual, not a sign of failure.
• It is not covered by insurance. We handle the medical side of rosacea as a medical visit; BBL for redness is a cosmetic treatment that insurance does not cover. See pricing transparency.