Dermatologist Dr. Steven Grekin said rosacea is an "idiopathic disease," meaning it's unknown what causes it. (Credit: Fox 2 News)
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) -
Rosacea is one of the most missed skin conditions. While we may associate pimples with puberty, this is a very adult disease.
"My most embarrassing moments are always when I see a picture of myself, and I'm reminded of what other people look at," said Anthony Stephans.
At 46, Stephans never thought he would still be battling bad skin.
"The normal over-the-counter stuff wasn't working. Actually it irritated it. It actually hurt -- painful, burning," he explained.
It turns out Stephans has rosacea, an adult skin condition often characterized by an irritated, red complexion.
"It happens as a result of aging. There's two components. One is a bacterial component just like regular acne. The other is a flushing. It's a vasodilation of the blood vessels, and it causes that red, almost ruddy, complexion," said dermatologist Dr. Steven Grekin.
"I had just obvious redness and some irritation and just really couldn't cover it up with makeup anymore," said Kathy Gregory.
Frustrated, she is just watching her rosacea get worse. The challenge is no one knows what causes it.
"Rosacea is what we call an idiopathic disease. We don't know from whence it comes. So we surmise that it's because of this flushing reaction, as well as bacteria, but we've never been able to isolate the exact bacteria or the exact cause of the flushing," Grekin explained.
Rosacea typically hits between the ages of 30 and 50. Fair-skinned women are usually affected, and often there is a trigger such as spicy food, hot temperatures or alcohol.
"They're looking at medications that get rid of the bumps, the pimples that we see, and also the redness because people are embarrassed to give presentations, go to meetings, go on dates, so this redness is very debilitating," Grekin said.
Dr. Grekin is looking for adults to take part in a free rosacea treatment study. We're told the study is FDA-approved and that several of the medications being evaluated have already received FDA approval for use with other diseases.
If you would like to participate, call the Grekin Skin Institute at 586-759-5525. Your can also visit www.grekinskininstitute.com for more information.
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Dermatologist Dr. Steven Grekin said rosacea is an "idiopathic disease," meaning it's unknown what causes it. (Credit: Fox 2 News)
