Priorities
Redness and rosacea
Persistent flushing, visible capillaries, and skin that reacts easily.
Treatments from $350
The short version
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.
Why it happens
Why your face stays red
Rosacea is an inflammatory condition, and its exact cause isn't fully understood. What we do know is that triggers like sun, heat and spicy food can set off flushing, and over time small vessels near the surface can widen and stay visible.
Inflammation drives the redness
Rosacea's flushing and swelling come from inflammation in the skin, which can be set off by everyday triggers.
Triggers are personal
Sun, heat, cold wind, wine and spicy food are common ones. Keeping a note of yours makes a real difference.
Sun widens small vessels
Years of sun can also leave broken capillaries on the nose and cheeks, even without rosacea.
Sources: AAD, what causes rosacea, Cleveland Clinic, sun-damaged skin
Your options
How we'd approach it
-
Step 1We'd start with
IPL photofacial
From $350
About IPL photofacialIf 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.
-
Step 2If you need a little more
HydraFacial for maintenance
From $299
About HydraFacial for maintenanceTo 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.
Side by side
Your options side by side
IPL treats the redness you can see, and gentle facials keep skin calm in between. Here's how they compare.
We'd start with
IPL photofacial
From $350
- Best for
- Visible vessels and background redness on lighter skin
- Appointment
- 20 to 40 minutes, cooling gel and eye shields
- Downtime
- Red for a few hours, then spots darken and flake over a week
- First results
- Spots lighten at 1 to 2 weeks, redness at 2 to 4 weeks
- Sessions
- 3 to 5, about 3 to 4 weeks apart, October to April
For maintenance
HydraFacial
From $299
- Best for
- Keeping reactive skin clear and calm, with the peel step turned down
- Appointment
- 30 to 45 minutes, no numbing
- Downtime
- None, pink for an hour or two
- First results
- Immediately
- Sessions
- One, then every 4 to 6 weeks
Oxygen facial
Priced at your consult
- Best for
- Skin that doesn't tolerate suction, by request
- Appointment
- About 45 minutes, no numbing
- Downtime
- None, pink for a few minutes at most
- First results
- Immediately
- Sessions
- One, monthly if you like it, or the day before an event
Prices are starting prices from our menu. Your provider will confirm the plan and total cost at your consult. Individual results vary.
What to expect
What to expect after IPL for redness
Redness fades gradually over two to four weeks after each session, and builds over a series of three to five.
Day 0
Red and warm
Red and warm for a few hours, and a little puffy. We’ll put sunscreen on before you leave.
Days 1 to 7
Coffee-ground flecks
Spots darken to coffee-ground flecks and flake off. Let them shed on their own. Don’t pick.
Weeks 2 to 4
Lighter and calmer
Spots are lighter and redness starts to settle. Time for your next session; redness keeps improving between visits.
One month after last
Review, then maintain
We review the series against your before photos. One or two maintenance sessions a year, plus good sun habits, keep skin clear.
Timeline for IPL, from our treatment page. Individual results vary.
Our reasoning
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.
What triggers rosacea flare-ups?
Common triggers include sun, heat, cold wind, alcohol (especially red wine), spicy food, hot drinks and intense exercise. They vary from person to person, so we'd suggest keeping a note of what sets yours off. A gentle routine and daily mineral sunscreen help too.
Can rosacea go away on its own?
It tends to come and go, but it doesn't usually clear for good. With the right routine, trigger management and treatments like IPL for visible vessels, most people keep it calm and much less noticeable. Bumps and pustules are best treated by a dermatologist.
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