The Rosacea X-Factor Syndrome An Editorial by Brady Barrows

Please note: In my book, Rosacea 101, (published in October 2007) in Appendix X, X Factor, page 239, you can read an updated version of what I wrote below which is the basis of the article. My new book is a comprehensive basic rosacea 101 knowledge for rosacea newbies who want to learn about the conventional and alternative treatments for rosacea.

The Rosacea X-Factor Syndrome is an interesting concept originated at a yahoo group. The X-Factor is 'the factor[s] of a regimen of treatment for rosacea that is not fully understood when rosacea is controlled in one person, but the same regimen doesn't work for another rosacean.'

While one rosacean may report success in treating rosacea explaining their treatment in detail, another rosacean will try it and not find the same level of success. Why? What is the X-Factor? The X-Factor is rooted in what causes rosacea. There may be other reasons why a particular rosacea regimen for one rosacean that works to control rosacea will not work for another rosacean but for now the X-Factor is a good explanation to describe this phenomenon or syndrome.

Trigger factors are included in the X-Factor, since what may trigger a rosacea flare-up in one rosacean may not trigger another rosacean. Trigger factors only MAY trigger a rosacea flare-up no matter who makes up the trigger factor list. More on trigger factors and flushing.

One of the problems with the X-Factor is that there is really no clear definition of rosacea which has been misdiagnosed for other skin conditions. When a physician says that you have rosacea (or one of the subtypes) this disease looks like so many other skin conditions that a rosacean may find later that it is SD, PF, or something else. And the AMA generally dismisses demodecosis as rosacea. Demodecosis isn't even listed as a subtype or variant of rosacea, being a completely different disease adding to this confusion, even though it looks like rosacea. There really isn't any way to know exactly what skin condition a person has who is diagnosed with rosacea. The disease has such a broad spectrum and looks way too much like acne, SD, lupus, PF, and a host of other diseases. The point of all this is that when one is looking for a treatment for rosacea, assuming that the doctor is right about the diagnosis, and finds out way down the line that what is on the face is actually another disease, the X-Factor goes into another realm, the Rosacea Twilight Zone. it really shows that we need research on this, and that is why I formed a non profit organization to do just that.

The real question is what is the X-Factor for you? The X-Factor is why treatment for rosacea is an individual thing. What works for one rosacean may not work for another. Remember the X-Factor will not go away unless we find a cure for rosacea. The X-Factor is the unknown heart of rosacea.