Today Tim and I spent the day at the Louvre. What beautiful paintings and Egyptian artifacts! I was really surprised to see how rosacea was present hundreds of years ago – and that the artists accurately painted the skin condition. This painting in the Louvre, “The Old Man and His Grandson” by Ghirlandiao painted around the year 1480, is a well-known example of rosacea painted in early art.
In doing some research I have also read that rosacea was mentioned in early literature. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Shakespeare’s Henry V included descriptions of men with red faces and enlarged noses.
For those readers who do not know what roscaea is – it is a condition of redness that looks like flushing or blushing of the face or neck. The flushing occurs when blood flow increases the amount of blood flow through small blood vessels and the vessels expand to accommodate this flow. The redness initially may come and go but becomes more permanent as the disease progresses. Many people also have enlarged blood vessels under the skin, which are noticeable as red lines through the skin, especially when the overall redness fades. What many people do not know is that many people develop related problems affecting the eye- ocular rosacea. This can affect over 50% of people and can range from mild to severe.
If this skin problem sound familiar to you, then I recommend that you step out of the “old ages” and make a visit to the clinic. Together we can bring you into “modern times” and clear your complexion just like the beautiful “Mona Lisa”.
Stay tuned for my next post!
Cheers, Dr. Fiona Wright