Rhofade: What’s So Different About This New Rosacea Med?

When it comes to rosacea, we’ve tried it all. Changing diets, bespoke Rx, and plain-old coverups have all been part of the arsenal. But we recently learned about Rhofade, and we were curious—what’s so new about this prescription rosacea cream? We knew that it was FDA-approved in January for the treatment of redness associated with rosacea. But how is it different than Soolantra (ivermectin, an anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic) or Finacea (azelaic acid, a treatment for acne and rosacea-associated bumps)? If you suffer from Rosacea, then you are likely familiar with all of these medications.

We reached out to CB-expert dermatologist Dr. Mitchell Kline to find out what’s so new about Rhofade, and why he might prescribe it instead of other topicals.

He explained, “Rhofade is a mild topical vasoconstricting agent that reduces the appearance of redness and lasts for a reasonably long period of time. It purports to avoid rebound flares that are common with other similar vasoconstructing topical drugs.”

In other words, Rhofade is designed to target redness by actually restricting blood flow, and it lasts, apparently without encouraging major come-back flare-ups.

Dr. Kline added: “While the other drugs treat underlying causes of rosacea, they do not have instantaneous or rapid onset of effect. They do not reduce redness rapidly. I consider Rhofade to be part of the armamentarium and not a replacement.”

So while Soolantra might target inflammation and infection and Finacea might minimize bumps, Rhofade is there to do the heavy lifting when it comes to immediate relief from redness. It’s not a cure-all, but it might be a great addition to a well-rounded rosacea-fighting arsenal.

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