Priorities
Redness and rosacea
Persistent flushing, visible capillaries, and skin that reacts easily.
Facial redness often starts as flushing that lingers after moving between cold air and a warm room, exercising, or having a glass of wine. Over time, the redness may stop fading completely, and fine visible vessels can appear across the nose and cheeks that makeup doesn’t fully cover.
This is usually rosacea or sun-damaged skin with broken capillaries, and the two often overlap. Nothing on our menu cures either one, but both can be made much calmer with the right treatment.
What we'd want you to know
Rosacea can be managed, even though it can't be cured
If you have visible vessels and background redness on lighter skin, IPL is the treatment with evidence behind it. The light is absorbed by blood in small vessels, which then close and fade. Plan on three to five sessions with our medical esthetician during the lower-sun months of the year.
To maintain your results, a gentle HydraFacial every couple of months, with the peel step skipped, keeps skin clear without irritating it. If your skin doesn’t tolerate suction, you can request an oxygen facial at your consult.
How we decide
We’ll ask what sets it off (heat, cold, wine, spice, exercise), whether there are bumps or pustules with the red, and whether you’ve seen a dermatologist. Rosacea with pustules is a medical condition with prescription treatments, and it should be managed by a dermatologist first.
For vessels and diffuse flushing, we’ll usually recommend IPL. Its clearance covers benign vascular lesions including telangiectasias and rosacea, and a 2022 systematic review of 16 studies found benefit for telangiectasia and erythema, with the caveat that nine of the studies were of low quality, per Archives of Dermatological Research. Redness improves gradually over two to four weeks after each session. Individual results vary.
Between series, the goal is to keep your skin calm. A HydraFacial can be dialed down for reactive skin, and we’ll skip it on a flare day. The oxygen facial isn’t on the Arlington Heights online booking menu, but it can be arranged through your consult.
Your questions, answered
Does IPL help rosacea?
It helps with the part you can see: fixed redness and broken capillaries. It doesn’t cure rosacea or stop flushing triggers. Many people see less background red after two or three sessions and maintain it with a touch-up once or twice a year.
Can I get a facial if I have rosacea?
Yes, with the right kind of facial. A HydraFacial with the peel step turned down and a calming serum is fine for most rosacea skin outside a flare. We’ll steer clear of anything with heat, steam, scrubbing, or strong acids. Mention your rosacea when you book so we can plan the treatment accordingly.
Why does winter make it worse here?
Forced-air heat drops indoor humidity to 10 to 15 percent, and cold wind adds windburn. Dry, irritated skin flushes more easily. A bland moisturizer, a humidifier by the bed, and a mineral sunscreen can make a real difference.
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