RI& KOREAN MEDICAL CLINIC
Rosacea & Facial Flushing
Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition in which erythema (persistent redness), papules, and pustules appear repeatedly due to dilated facial capillaries and chronic inflammation.
It mainly affects the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin, and in severe cases the dilated capillaries (telangiectasia) can become visibly prominent.
Facial Flushing
Facial flushing is a condition in which the capillaries in the skin overreact, causing the face to turn red repeatedly.
It responds sensitively to triggers such as temperature changes, UV exposure, alcohol, and stress, and mainly appears on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. In the early stages the redness comes and goes, but with repeated episodes it can progress to telangiectasia — persistently dilated capillaries — and worsen into rosacea, where the face looks constantly red or the blood vessels become visibly prominent.
Rosacea & Facial Flushing Self-Check
- Your face stays persistently red, and the redness does not subside over time.
- Small papules or pustules repeatedly appear on the nose, cheeks, forehead, or chin.
- Your skin has become sensitive, with frequent burning or stinging sensations.
- Symptoms worsen with temperature changes, spicy food, alcohol, or stress.
- Dilated capillaries make fine blood vessels clearly visible on the skin's surface (telangiectasia).
- Your skin is becoming rough and thickened.
- Your eyes are often bloodshot or dry, with a gritty, foreign-body sensation.
Main causes of rosacea and flushing
Abnormal vascular reactivity
Irritating (spicy) foods
Gut microbiome imbalance
UV exposure and stress
Hormonal changes
Rosacea Treatment at Myeongdong RI& Korean Medicine Clinic
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Skin & Constitution Diagnosis
- Using the T-1000 thermal imaging diagnostic device, we analyze your body's heat patterns and precisely assess areas of inflammation, blood circulation, and autonomic nervous system balance.
- An RSA autonomic nervous system test evaluates your metabolic state, stress index, and autonomic balance to pinpoint internal causes.
- Combined with traditional Korean medicine diagnostics (tongue, pulse, and abdominal examination), we comprehensively assess your skin and overall health, then provide treatment tailored to your individual skin type and symptom severity.
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Circulation Acupuncture
A Korean medicine treatment that uses ultra-fine needles to stimulate the circulation of qi and blood in the face and calm inflammation. It addresses heat-toxin (熱毒) and impaired blood circulation — major causes — to support skin recovery, and with continued treatment it aims to support the skin's resilience and help manage recurrence.
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Soothing & Anti-inflammatory Pharmacopuncture
This treatment injects herbal pharmacopuncture solutions with anti-inflammatory properties, such as soothing pharmacopuncture and centipede (Ogong) pharmacopuncture, directly into the skin to help calm inflammation. It especially helps reduce facial redness and support skin regeneration. It is injected directly into the inflamed area, and the degree and pace of change vary from person to person.
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Ultrasound Soothing Care
A calming treatment that uses ultrasound to stimulate microcirculation deep within the skin and ease inflammation. Ultrasonic vibrations (1–3 MHz) gently stimulate the skin tissue, supporting blood flow and helping reduce inflammation. It also helps support the skin barrier against external irritants.
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Customized Herbal Medicine
Prescribed according to your individual constitution, this treatment looks at the causes of the condition and aims to improve them and restore skin health. It aims to calm immune hypersensitivity and clear heat-toxin to reduce inflammation, while supporting the skin barrier to help prevent recurrence. It can also be prescribed in pill (hwan) form, making it easy to take consistently.
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Home Care
Based on herbal ingredients, our home care helps restore skin balance through soothing and moisturizing properties, and helps support the skin barrier against external irritation.
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Lifestyle & Dietary Guidance
We provide personalized lifestyle coaching to help you minimize skin irritation and reduce inflammatory reactions.
Skin Analysis SKIN ANALYSIS
Multi-Angle Imaging
photographs your skin from several angles
UV & Visible Light Imaging
shows conditions that are hard to see with the naked eye, such as sun damage and pigmentation
High-Resolution Imaging
lets us look closely at pores, wrinkles and pigmentation
Saved Results
stores each analysis so changes can be compared over the course of care
Used in Consultation
we explain your skin condition and care options based on the results
prescribed to suit your constitution and symptoms
Herbal prescription and preparation
Individual prescriptions are prepared with pharmaceutical-grade herbal ingredients manufactured under the MFDS herbal Good Manufacturing Practice (hGMP) standard.
Each prescription is decocted separately.
Pharmaceutical-grade herbs
Prescribed by constitution and symptoms
Decocted per prescription
Progress checks while you take it
Flushing & Rosacea Q&A
What is the difference between facial flushing and rosacea?
Flushing is a vascular reaction in which the face temporarily turns red in response to triggers such as temperature changes, alcohol, or stress. Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition in which repeated flushing leads to persistently dilated capillaries, accompanied by papules, pustules, and a sensation of heat — it can be seen as an advanced form of flushing. Left unmanaged, early-stage flushing can progress to rosacea, so early care is important.
What is the goal of treating flushing and rosacea?
In the mild flushing stage, the skin may improve as the skin barrier recovers and the immune system stabilizes (results vary). Once the condition has progressed to rosacea, treatment aims at relieving symptoms and keeping recurrence in check, and it needs to be combined with consistent lifestyle management and constitutional care.
Does herbal medicine help with flushing and rosacea?
Topical medications and laser treatments are used to improve surface symptoms, but unless the internal causes are also managed, the condition easily recurs. Korean medicine views flushing and rosacea as conditions in which systemic factors act in combination — stagnation of internal heat, imbalanced blood circulation, and immune hypersensitivity. Herbal medicine focuses on regulating the internal inflammatory environment and immune response while lowering the skin's sensitivity to irritation. For cases that keep recurring or have responded poorly to previous treatment, it aims to help improve your constitution and restore immune balance.
What if the herbal medicine doesn't suit me?
Responses to herbal medicine can vary depending on each person's constitution, skin condition, and lifestyle. At Myeongdong RI& Korean Medicine Clinic, prescriptions are issued in 15-day courses, and throughout each course we closely monitor your skin and how your body responds. Prescriptions are prepared with pharmaceutical-grade herbal ingredients.
Photos of people on this page are staged images, not actual patients.
