Guide

Every year at the end of the year and the first part of January we have noted an increase in rosacea cases that correspond to an increase in sugar and alcohol consumed during the holidays at the end of December. This is because sugar and alcohol are both listed as rosacea triggers. Alcohol has been listed as a rosacea trigger for many years. The RRDi is the only non profit organization to list sugar/carbohydrate as a rosacea trigger. Read the official RRDi rosacea trigger list. "Sugar by itself furnishes energy, and that’s about it. In that sense, sugar is like alcohol. It’s got calories, but it’s not nutrition. There’s no biochemical reaction that requires it. And at high doses, alcohol can fry your liver. Same with sugar." [1] Sugar may trigger your rosacea, just as alcohol may trigger your rosacea. The end of the year holidays furnishes motivation for increasing sugar/carbohydrate and alcohol which in turn may increase your rosacea flareups. If you have any questions or comments please find the REPLY TO THIS TOPIC button. End Notes [1] Why sugar is potentially as toxic as alcohol, Robert Lustig, Fortune Fructose Ethanol All images courtesy of Wikmedia Commons

If you have been following the RRDi Guest Forum you probably have noticed little or sparse activity from guests. Actually there is a great deal of activity with spammers/trollers trying to promote their nefarious wares (against our rules), however, we moderate every post and don't allow any such posts including inappropriate links, etc, since such guest posts violate our rules which guests must adhere to. Please notice rules 1 and 3. We could use some volunteer moderators if you have the volunteer spirit. If you do, why not post as a guest in this thread an appropriate post on rosacea and your desire to volunteer as a moderator which shows you do have the volunteer spirit and want to help other rosacea sufferers, rosaceans. The RRDi is not setup to promote the nefarious wares of guests. Guests are NOT allowed to post about rosacea or ask questions about rosacea since the end of June 2022 because only spammers or trollers post and we are sick and tired of deleting all these type of posts, especially those in Russian. RRDi Registered Members can also post in the guest forum. Remember that no one is paid here at the RRDi and everyone is a volunteer member. If you want to volunteer read this page. Volunteers who actually volunteer to post, we waive the subscription fee.

If you note in the above article published in Vanity Fair about Jaimie Kern Lima she is quoted as stating,“the power of the people was greater than the people in power.” Now that she has a billion dollar company she has the power. The RRDi has sent letters to Jamie Kern Lima asking for a donation so that the RRDi could engage in some novel rosacea research and our letters are ignored. If you believe in her statement that “the power of the people was greater than the people in power;” join the RRDi and do something about engaging into some novel rosacea research. Or watch the trailer and movie on this post.

"Sarecycline is an analogue of tetracycline specifically designed for the treatment of acne. It is available as an oral formulation to treat inflammatory lesions of moderate to severe non-nodular acne vulgaris. The main advantage of this new tetracycline is a higher selective activity against Cutinebacterium acnes comparative to older tetracyclines (doxycycline and minocycline) used in acne therapy. Due to this selectivity, the probability of developing antibiotic resistance is lower than minocycline and doxycycline." Pharmaceutics. 2021 Dec; 13(12): 2085. The Development of Third-Generation Tetracycline Antibiotics and New Perspectives Aura Rusu and Emanuela Lorena Buta

"As one of the facial inflammatory dermatosis, rosacea has been linked to manifest ocular surface changes, such as blepharitis and conjunctivitis. A multi-institutional case-control study revealed a notable association between rosacea and blepharitis, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, and chalazion in the Korean patient population." J Clin Med. 2021 Dec; 10(24): 5754. Special Issue: “Skin Disease and Comorbidities” Keiichi Yamanaka

(image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) "Melatonin is a hormone primarily released by the pineal gland at night, and has long been associated with control of the sleep–wake cycle." [1] Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) "is produced by various tissues in the body, although the major source is the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin is produced naturally from the amino acid tryptophan, by the pineal gland at night-time." [2] "Melatonin dietary supplements can be made from animals or microorganisms, but most often they’re made synthetically." [3] "Commercial melatonin production is predominantly performed by complex chemical synthesis." [4] "Moreover studies suggest that the melatonin hormone is also an effective cancer inhibitor, can be beneficial in treating neurodegenerative diseases, and is useful to fight depression and anxiety. The first commercially available melatonin was produced via extraction of pineal glands of animals. However, one of the biggest drawbacks of the extraction process is the danger of viral contamination of the animal tissue. Therefore, melatonin is typically chemically synthesized, requiring toxic solvents and catalysts, albeit that all of these solvents and chemical intermediates are abundantly available...For recombinant melatonin production, we chose budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the host, since the product is intended for food supplement and medical applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on heterologous production of melatonin from glucose." [4] "Some of the products are labeled "natural" melatonin and are reputed to contain actual extracts of the pineal gland. You should avoid these products. If the pills contain actual animal tissue, they may be contaminated with viruses or proteins which may be dangerous. You should buy synthetic melatonin. The synthetic melatonin is made from pharmaceutical grade ingredients and is molecularly identical to the melatonin you produce in your own body." [5] "The origins, purity and the relatively low risk of contamination in plant melatonin have opened the door to its use as a nutraceutical compound, Spanish scientists suggest." [6] End Notes [1] Melatonin, Wikipedia [2] You and Your Hormones, Melatonin [3] Melatonin: What You Need To Know, NIH [4] Biotechnol J. 2016 May; 11(5): 717–724. Glucose‐based microbial production of the hormone melatonin in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Susanne M. Germann, Simo A. Baallal Jacobsen, Konstantin Schneider, Scott J. Harrison, Niels B. Jensen, Xiao Chen, Steen G. Stahlhut, Irina Borodina, Hao Luo, Jiangfeng Zhu, Jérôme Maury, Jochen Forster [5] Melatonin, UNC School of Medicine [6] Plant-based melatonin: A real alternative to synthetic forms?,

NEWS ITEM Flash - Melatonin for Rosacea! Buy Melatonin from Amazon One paper has stated, "Among the 113 predicted drugs, melatonin (MLT) was co-associated with both RORA and IFN-γ in AD and rosacea. Subsequently, network pharmacology analysis identified 19 pharmacological targets of MLT and demonstrated that MLT could help in treating AD/rosacea partly by modulating inflammatory and vascular signaling pathways. Finally, we verified the therapeutic role and mechanism of MLT on rosacea in vivo and in vitro. We found that MLT treatment significantly improved rosacea-like skin lesion by reducing keratinocyte-mediated inflammatory cytokine secretion and repressing the migration of HUVEC cells. In conclusion, this study contributes to common pathologies shared by rosacea and AD and identified MLT as an effective treatment strategy for rosacea and AD via regulating inflammation and angiogenesis." Bioinformatics and Network Pharmacology Identify the Therapeutic Role and Potential Mechanism of Melatonin in AD and Rosacea Buy Melatonin from Amazon Affiliate Store Item • Learn More about Melatonin, i.e., how it is made synthetically, etc. (Requires you Register an Account to View Information)

It is that time of year to review how the NRS spends its donations. In 2020 the NRS received $353,044. Expenses totaled $376,886, leaving revenue less expenses in the amount of -$20,842. How can the NRS do this? They have a lot of assets from previous years! At the end of 2020 the NRS has a total of $103,552 in assets. How much did the NRS spend on research grants? $30K. This means, that of the total amount in revenue (donations) about 8.5% was spent on rosacea research. That means that for every dollar donated to the NRS about 8.5 cents was spent on rosacea research. What did the NRS spend most of its money on? Answer: on one independent contractor, Glendale Communications Group, Inc., mentioned in the previous post that is owned and run by Samuel Huff who serves on the board of directors of the NRS and is a key staff member. How much did the NRS spend? Answer: $219,523 which is 62% of the revenue received in 2020. We have been reporting this to the public for many, many years, and rosacea sufferers love the way the NRS spends its donations and keep supporting this arrangement which is really nice for Samuel and Andrew Huff who own Glendale Communications Group, Inc. That is a nice way for the Huffs to end 2020. You might wonder why we don't report the Form 990 for 2021, which is released by the NRS towards the end of 2022, so stick around and come back then to see how the NRS spends its 2021 revenue. We are the lone watchdog on how the NRS spends its donations. Also if you want to review the Form 990 for 2020 you simply have to scroll up the previous post and open the pdf and read it for yourself. For a spreadsheet of all the years reviewed: click here.

In 2021 the NRS has announced a change in its executive director, from Samuel Huff. The new executive director is Andrew Huff. Here is a screenshot: It is interesting that Andrew Huff also serves as vice president of Glendale Communications Group which according to the blurb above "provides infrastructure and personnel fo the NRS program services at no cost to its members." Whether the members are charged or not, the fact remains that in 2020, according to the Form 990 provided by the NRS to the public, Glendale Communications Group, Inc., received $219,523 in compensation as an independent contractor for the NRS which amounts to 62% of the total revenue received in 2020. In addition to this, Form 990 indicates Andrew Huff received $61,216 in reportable compensation from related organizations while at the same time Samuel Huff received $50,562 as 'Director Emeritus'. Read the Form 990 for yourself: nrs_990_2020.pdf

YouTube sent the RRDi the results of our fans who watch all the videos we have uploaded this past year and some of the achievements which you can see below.

Buy Melatonin from Amazon Melatonin for Rosacea One paper has stated, "Among the 113 predicted drugs, melatonin (MLT) was co-associated with both RORA and IFN-γ in AD and rosacea. Subsequently, network pharmacology analysis identified 19 pharmacological targets of MLT and demonstrated that MLT could help in treating AD/rosacea partly by modulating inflammatory and vascular signaling pathways. Finally, we verified the therapeutic role and mechanism of MLT on rosacea in vivo and in vitro. We found that MLT treatment significantly improved rosacea-like skin lesion by reducing keratinocyte-mediated inflammatory cytokine secretion and repressing the migration of HUVEC cells. In conclusion, this study contributes to common pathologies shared by rosacea and AD and identified MLT as an effective treatment strategy for rosacea and AD via regulating inflammation and angiogenesis." Bioinformatics and Network Pharmacology Identify the Therapeutic Role and Potential Mechanism of Melatonin in AD and Rosacea Buy Melatonin from Amazon

'Current findings provide more evidence that rosacea is significantly associated with depression and anxiety, and rosacea may predispose patients to develop depression and anxiety. Clinicians should be aware of the psychological aspects of rosacea." Association of rosacea with depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis

'Retaron® is a new dietary supplement formulation on the market that has recently obtained the national safety standard identification in China. Its main ingredients include omega-3 free fatty acids, lutein, aronia extract, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which play an important role in promoting retinal development and improving visual function (19). In this study, we investigated the effect of the dietary supplement as an adjunct treatment of MGD-related dry eye. Our hypothesis was that the use of dietary supplement can improve dry eye symptoms and signs, reduce the inflammatory reaction of MG, and restore the gland structure in patients with MGD.' Front Med (Lausanne). 2021; 8: 769132. Improved Dry Eye Symptoms and Signs of Patients With Meibomian Gland Dysfunction by a Dietary Supplement Kangcheng Liu, Yau Kei Chan, Xia Peng, Ruolan Yuan, Min Liao, Jingwen Liang, Xiangbo Tang, Yi Xu, Yingjun Cai, Qiangxiang Li, and Hua Wang

"At present, the development of skin imaging technologies [dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), etc.], teledermatology, and artificial intelligence (AI) has profoundly and comprehensively changed the nature, service model, and public recognition of dermatology (1). Skin imaging, as an important technical system in modern dermatology, continues to gain the attention of researchers and the wider community alike....n sum, this special Research Topic of skin imaging technology, teledermatology, and AI in dermatology collects the latest endeavors, progresses, experiences, and challenges in these fields and shows the successful integration of modern information technology into dermatology." Front Med (Lausanne). 2021; 8: 757538. Editorial: Progress and Prospects on Skin Imaging Technology, Teledermatology and Artificial Intelligence in Dermatology Chengxu Li, Je-Ho Mun, Paola Pasquali, Hang Li, H. Peter Soyer, and Yong Cui

'Face masks worn for at least 6 hours per day have resulted in allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, acneiform eruptions, atopy and seborrhoeic eczema, periorificial dermatitis, urticaria, rosacea, folliculitis, and pruritus...It is less clear how many hours or days that nonhealthcare individuals wear the same unsanitized face mask and whether exhaled, nasal, cutaneous, oral, oropharyngeal, and gastrointestinal organisms cultivated on the underside of the mask promote dysbiotic microbiomes and host illness." Respir Med Res. 2021 Nov 27 : 100877. PROLONGED FACIAL MASK WEAR IS A CONCERN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DYSBIOTIC MICROBIOME John K. Brooks, DDS, Clinical Professor, Ahmed S. Sultan, BDSPhD, Assistant Professor, and Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk, PhD, Associate Professor

"The role of the exposome in rosacea must be highlighted: UV light, air pollution, tobacco smoking, nutrition, and psychological stress can trigger or worsen rosacea. Although UV exposure is one of the most commonly reported triggers and UV radiation can play a significant role in the pathogenesis of rosacea, the literature on photoprotection in rosacea is relatively scarce." "Among these factors, UV radiation is crucial in the pathogenesis of rosacea." J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Nov; 20(11): 3415–3421. Impact of ultraviolet radiation and exposome on rosacea: Key role of photoprotection in optimizing treatment Daniel Morgado‐Carrasco, MD, Corinne Granger, MD, Carles Trullas, MSc, and Jaime Piquero‐Casals, MD

UV Radiation from the sun has for many years been associated with rosacea which is a component of EM radiation. For more information learn more. EM radiation from lighting, copiers, computer monitors etc. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons "All radiation is a form of energy, most of which is invisible to the human eye. UV radiation is only one form of radiation and it is measured on a scientific scale called the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. UV radiation is only one type of EM energy you may be familiar with." Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation, FDA "i have one of those backlight led monitors....anyone notice they flush while looking at it for long time?" bbillcee Thread, FlushingQueen posts: “I have spent the past 5 hours researching this strange phenomenon and it turns out I am not the only one out there. Several people in this forum and other experience burning from computer use. The biggest explanation has been electromagnetic fields hypersensitivity:http://www.science20.com/florilegium...persensitivity All the symptoms are explained here. Some people are more sensitive than others, and things like mercury dental fillings (I have FOUR) make people more susceptible...Could I not have rosacea but just really sensitive to today’s modern technology?” "All fluorescent lamps emit some UV. Typical fluorescent lamps, including CFLs, which consumers would encounter, emit very low levels of UV. In order to measure any UV radiation from these lamps, very sensitive measuring equipment must be used." Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) – Fact Sheet/FAQ, FDA The above is related to florescent lights which you may find interesting. "Some in the lighting business have stated that LEDs do not produce UV radiation. However studies have shown that standard LEDs do create a small amount of UV. That said, the amount of UV they actually emit is even less." Do LED Lights Produce UV?, Premier Lighting If you have a comment on this subject, please find the reply to this topic button and post!

"We assessed the efficacy of the Kleresca® biophotonic platform (KLOX Technologies Inc., Laval, Canada), which creates fluorescent light energy (FLE), to induce a novel form of photobiomodulation for treating rosacea. We also assessed patient satisfaction with their facial appearance and concerns about perceptions of others before and after treatment...FLE significantly reduced the inflammatory erythematous reaction of the face, improved flushing and erythema associated with rosacea, and had a positive impact on patients' self-perception and emotional wellbeing....Our results support FLE as an effective, noninvasive treatment modality for rosacea." Biophotonic Therapy with Fluorescent Light Energy Decreases Facial Erythema, Improves Signs and Symptoms of Rosacea, and Increases Patient Satisfaction: A Postmarket Study More on FLE

"Rosacea and scurvy, however, are described by Shakespeare before they become named entities. Bardolph's skin characterizes his alcohol addiction and thievery, and Caliban's "monstrous" form mirrors his state as an untouchable in society." On Shakespeare and cutaneous diseases "It is Bardolph’s big, red nose that commands our attention. He has what modern physicians call rosacea, a skin disorder of the face that causes redness, inflammation, and rhinophyma, the pimply growths that enlarge, harden, and crack the nose." Bardolph’s Rosacea, Jeffrey R. Wilson Preceptor in Expository Writing Harvard College Writing Program

A "a plaster/bandage" comprised of probiotics has been developed in treating diseased skin, focusing mostly on acne (Acne vulgaris), infected atopic eczema lesions, venous leg ulcers, and (burn) wound infections, so that "the probiotic containing pads may be topically applied for the treatment of skin disorders without the need for a regular antibiotic treatment or as an adjunctive therapy." Whether these probiotic dressings could be used for rosacea remains to be seen. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2021; 13(6): 1557–1571. A New Approach to Harness Probiotics Against Common Bacterial Skin Pathogens: Towards Living Antimicrobials Ghazi Khalfallah, Rita Gartzen, Martin Möller, Elisabeth Heine, and Rudolf Lütticken

"Ivermectin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an oral treatment for intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis and as a topical treatment for pediculosis and rosacea. It is also used as a treatment for parasites in pets and livestock. Ivermectin may decrease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication in vitro, but randomized, controlled trials have shown no clinical benefit in the prevention or treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Veterinary use of ivermectin has increased, and the number of prescriptions for use by humans in the United States is 24 times as high as the number before the pandemic. Moreover, the number of such prescriptions in August 2021 was 4 times as high as the number in July 2021....These cases illustrate the potential toxic effects of ivermectin, including severe episodes of confusion, ataxia, seizures, and hypotension, and the increasing frequency of inappropriate use. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of ivermectin to treat or prevent Covid-19, and improper use, as well as the possible occurrence of medication interactions, may result in serious side effects requiring hospitalization." N Engl J Med. 2021 Oct 20 : NEJMc2114907. Toxic Effects from Ivermectin Use Associated with Prevention and Treatment of Covid-19 Courtney Temple, M.D., Ruby Hoang, D.O., and Robert G. Hendrickson, M.D.

"Consequently, a schema established on patient features that encompassed the diversity of clinical presentations was proposed by the global ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) panel in 2017. This phenotype approach was based on an “individual’s observable characteristics that can be influenced by genetic or environmental factors”. The ROSCO panel represented an international rosacea expert group of dermatologists and ophthalmologists from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America to ensure global representation. In this paradigm, subsequently endorsed by the National Rosacea Society, two features were independently diagnostic for rosacea. In their absence, the presence of two or more major features can establish the diagnosis. Furthermore, minor features might also present with diagnostic and/or major features (Table 1). The next step was to align the management strategies with the phenotype approach to enable optimization of patient outcomes and improve general well-being by targeting those features most bothersome to the patient." American Journal of Clinical Dermatology volume 22, pages 457–465 (2021) Rosacea: New Concepts in Classification and Treatment Esther J. van Zuuren, Bernd W. M. Arents, Mireille M. D. van der Linden, Sofieke Vermeulen, Zbys Fedorowicz & Jerry Tan

"Morbihan syndrome is characterised clinically by the slow appearance of erythematous and solid, non-pitting oedema localised exclusively on the forehead, glabella, eyelids and cheeks. The aetiopathogenesis of Morbihan syndrome is not completely known. Most authors propose that it is a clinical variety or a complication of acne or rosacea. Some authors hypothesise that Morbihan syndrome may be caused by lymph vessel abnormalities.6 Pathological examination, although non-specific, is characterised by perivascular dermal oedema with a lympho-histiocytic periadenexal infiltrate containing numerous mast cells and dilation of lymphatic vessels. Granulomas are sometimes present, and sebaceous gland hyperplasia can be observed in patients who have had or have associated rosacea. The age, clinical picture (erythema, pustules and telangiectasia on the face) and histological features consistent with granulomatous rosacea (marked oedema and granulomas) are all supportive of the diagnosis of rosacea leading to Morbihan syndrome. According to the current literature, treatment is challenging. Commonly used treatments are tetracycline group antibiotics and isotretinoin. Other treatment modalities include facial massage to improve drainage and steroids. Isotretinoin (10–20 mg/day) alone or in combination with ketotifen (1 mg two times per day) for 3–6 months has been reported to be effective. However, the response is unpredictable." BMJ Case Rep. 2019; 12(10): e231074. Rosacea causing unilateral Morbihan syndrome Saliya Weeraman and Andrew Birnie

"The skin microbiome includes bacteria, fungi, viruses, micro-eukaryotes (mites), archaea, and phages. They can be found not only on the surface of the epidermis, but also in sweat, sebaceous glands and associated hair follicles. The composition of microbiome differs among different regions affected by numerous factors including age, gender, genetics, immunity, hormonal balance, sleep routine, stress, metabolic factors, hygiene and skin care routine, chemical or ultraviolet radiation exposure, physical activity, climate, environmental pollution and availability of nutrients." "The studies have shown that probiotics and prebiotics both administered orally or applied topically may have a positive influence on the course of skin diseases. Despite the continuous increase in promising data on the effectiveness of the use of probiotics and prebiotics, further clinical trials are needed to assess the efficacy and long-term safety profile of probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of patients with dermatological diseases." Biomedicines. 2021 Oct; 9(10): 1436. Microbiome Modulation as a Therapeutic Approach in Chronic Skin Diseases Karina Polak, Antal Jobbágy, Tomasz Muszyński, Kamila Wojciechowska, Aleksandra Frątczak, András Bánvölgyi, Beata Bergler-Czop, and Norbert Kiss