A Treatment Option for my Rosacea!

This post is sponsored by Galderma and SHE Media. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Galderma.

Hey all!

Today I’m going to put it all out there and share something that’s very personal to me. I hope that my sharing this will help you if you’re dealing with this issue as well. I have a skin condition called rosacea. I’ve had it for years and as I’ve gotten older, it has gotten worse. It’s an ongoing battle and I’m always looking for new ways to help treat it. Thankfully, I was lucky to discover ORACEA® (doxycycline, USP) Capsules 40 mg* for the treatment of the bumps and blemishes of rosacea. I spoke to my dermatologist and can’t wait to start taking it.

If you’re not familiar with rosacea, you can head to this website to learn more about it. I’ll also tell you a little about it and my experience with it in this blog post today. Rosacea is a skin condition with symptoms that may include facial redness, blushing, acne-like breakouts, visible blood vessels and/or sensitive skin with burning, itching or stinging.1 It’s shocking to know that more than 16 million Americans have rosacea and many people don’t know their symptoms could be a sign of this chronic inflammatory skin condition.2

The lack of awareness about rosacea is one reason why I wanted to write this post sharing my experience with the condition. I wanted to get the word out there in case you may be dealing with the kinds of symptoms listed above. If you have these symptoms, talk to your dermatologist to see if you have rosacea. For me, my skin always appears reddish and bumpy, which is hard to cover up with cosmetics and it’s not fun. Even though it’s tough dealing with this condition, it’s comforting to know I’m not alone! I’m one of the 16 million Americans dealing with this skin issue each day.2

If you want to see firsthand what rosacea can look like, see the pictures above and below. This is what my skin looks like after washing off my makeup. You can see the red bumps and blemishes all over my face and how inflamed my skin is. Even though I dislike showing my skin without make-up to the world, my hope is that putting this out there will help others who are dealing with rosacea. It’s not a pretty sight, but I’m not perfect, and that’s ok.

My rosacea started in my early twenties, however, the condition usually first appears after age 30.1 You may experience just one symptom or you can have a combination of symptoms, which can occur regularly or occasionally.1 Since being diagnosed, I’ve experienced a combination of symptoms.

Rosacea has various triggers, like sun exposure, hot or cold weather, spicy foods, alcohol or emotional stress.3 This is why I’m very conscious of what I eat and drink. I don’t drink alcohol except on rare special occasions and I cut back completely on spicy foods. I also try to watch the temperature of the water I use because anything too hot or too cold can cause a flare up for me.

I do everything I can to treat my rosacea and that’s why I’m going to start taking ORACEA Capsules. If rosacea is left untreated it can worsen and cause thickening of the skin and even irritate the eyes,1 and I don’t want my skin to get worse than it already is. Rather than let my rosacea go untreated, I want to try this simple and effective once-daily treatment. ORACEA Capsules are unique because they are a low-dose oral medication that treat rosacea from the inside out, lessening the inflammation below the skin to reduce the bumps and blemishes of rosacea that you can see developing on the surface.

The active ingredient in ORACEA Capsules is doxycycline, but unlike traditional antibiotic doses of doxycycline, the low-dose formulation of ORACEA Capsules does not work by killing bacteria; instead, it reduces the bumps and blemishes of rosacea with its anti-inflammatory properties.4,5 That’s really important because rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition—not a bacterial infection.6

Also, in a nine-month clinical study, ORACEA Capsules were not shown to contribute to antibiotic resistance.5,6 Talk to your doctor about antibiotics and only use them when they are really needed.

I’ve spoken to my dermatologist about starting ORACEA Capsules and I can’t wait to get started! I feel it’s something that is right for my rosacea. After learning a lot about it, I hope it’ll do wonders for improving my rosacea. As with any medication, you have to talk to your own doctor/dermatologist to see if this medicine is right for you. Do not take any medicines without consulting a medical professional first!

For more information about rosacea triggers, skincare tips, treatment options and how to find a dermatologist near you, visit ORACEA.com.

Important Safety Information

Indication: ORACEA® (doxycycline, USP) 40 mg* Capsules are indicated for the treatment of only inflammatory lesions (papules and pustules) of rosacea in adult patients. ORACEA Capsules do not lessen the facial redness caused by rosacea. Adverse Events: In controlled clinical studies, the most commonly reported adverse events (>2%) in patients treated with ORACEA Capsules were nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, diarrhea, hypertension and aspartate aminotransferase increase. Warnings/Precautions: ORACEA Capsules should not be used to treat or prevent infections. ORACEA Capsules should not be taken by patients who have a known hypersensitivity to doxycycline or other tetracyclines. ORACEA Capsules should not be taken during pregnancy, by nursing mothers, or during tooth development (up to the age of 8 years). Although photosensitivity was not observed in clinical trials, ORACEA Capsules patients should minimize or avoid exposure to natural or artificial sunlight. The efficacy of ORACEA Capsules treatment beyond 16 weeks and safety beyond 9 months have not been established.

*30 mg immediate release & 10 mg delayed release beads

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

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References:

1 National Rosacea Society. All About Rosacea. https://www.rosacea.org/patients/allaboutrosacea.php. Accessed on March 14, 2018.

2 National Rosacea Society. What Is Rosacea? https://www.rosacea.org/. Accessed on March 14, 2018.

3 National Rosacea Society. Rosacea Triggers Survey. https://www.rosacea.org/patients/materials/triggersgraph.php. Accessed on March 14, 2018.

4 Oracea (doxycycline) capsules for oral use. Prescribing Information. 2014.

5 Valentín, Sheila, et al. Safety and efficacy of doxycycline in the treatment of rosacea. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology: CCID 2 (2009): 129.

6 National Rosacea Society. All About Rosacea. https://www.rosacea.org/patients/allaboutrosacea.php. Accessed on March 6, 2019.

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