Ways To Prevent And Treat Rhinophyma

Rhinophyma is related to rosacea, which is an inflammatory skin disease. However, rosacea will have flareups and the symptoms can come and go, though rhinophyma does not do this. It usually affects the nose and causes it to continue to grow and experience an overgrowth of tissue causing lumps to form. In addition to the overgrowth, individuals experience redness, large pores, thickened skin, and scarring.

It is believed rhinophyma can be the result of untreated rosacea, so patients afflicted with rhinophyma can also experience typical rosacea symptoms as well, including visible blood vessels, sensitive skin, and facial flushing. Usually, a doctor can diagnose the condition just with a visual inspection, though they may do other tests to rule out another underlying condition.

Avoid Strenuous Exercise

It is better for individuals dealing with rhinophyma to avoid strenuous exercise. When individuals exercise, their face can get flushed for prolonged periods because of the increased blood flow experienced during the workout. This is something patients want to avoid when they are suffering from rhinophyma, since they do not want the blood vessels taking on more blood as they may become more pronounced. This means patients will experience a redder nose and even distended blood vessels in other parts of their face.

However, this does not mean they cannot work out. Patients just need to structure their workouts so they do not get overheated. They might want to consider doing shorter periods of exercise, making sure they drink enough fluids, and even work out inside so they are not exposed to sun or heat. When exercising, rhinophyma patients just need to make sure they are taking precautions to avoid triggers.

Avoid Hot Foods And Drinks

Just like strenuous exercise, individuals need to avoid hot foods and drinks if they have rhinophyma. These kinds of foods will make the patient's face flush and increase the blood flow to the face, triggering a flareup of the condition and make the symptoms worse. The patient's face might break out, become red, or they may experience pain and inflammation. If individuals have rhinophyma, they need to stay away from spicy foods and hot drinks. It may seem like a big compromise, but if continuing to eat these foods can worsen the condition.

Patients might need to rely on the help of others when determining if something is considered spicy. This is because if someone is used to hot, spicy food, they may not realize how spicy something actually is, even if they think it is bland. So patients should use their friends and family to help them stay away from spicy foods. Additionally, patients should make sure their drinks are not too hot.

Regularly Use Sunscreen

Even though individuals should regularly use sunscreen on healthy skin, it is even more imperative to use it on skin affected by rhinophyma. Using sunscreen protects skin from further damage from the sun, which can cause the skin to become red and inflamed, causing pain and irritation. Additionally, patients should not have prolonged exposure to the sun. Furthermore, individuals should use a high SPF sunscreen, so they can maximize the protection and help keep their skin as healthy as possible. Individuals do not want to get a sunburn on the area, and the nose is an easy place for this to happen, though it's important to apply sunscreen on all exposed parts of the body.

Topical Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Medications like topical anti-inflammatories can help reduce some of the redness associated with rhinophyma, but it is not going to make a significant change in the presentation of the condition. Additionally, to see the best results, topical anti-inflammatory medication needs to be used during the early stages of the condition. Rhinophyma will continue to get worse as time goes by and the use of medications will become less effective.

If patients wait until the condition is extreme, they will experience virtually no relief by using medication. It is best to seek treatment with medicine when the condition is either just rosacea or in the very early stages of rhinophyma. By seeking early medical intervention, patients may be able to reduce the chance of nose deformities.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion will take off excess layers of skin from the nose using a rotating brush. It can help contour the nose, so it has a better aesthetic look. It will depend on how deep into the skin it needs to go as to how patients are made comfortable during the procedure. If individuals are just having a small area done, they can usually be numbed using ice packs and local anesthetic.

If they are having a larger area or deeper area being done, they may need sedation or general anesthesia. After dermabrasion, the skin will need to heal, and new skin will need to grow over what was taken off. It will take some time for the skin to return to its natural color. In some cases, this can take up to a year, during which time the skin will remain red.