Azelaic acid: A naturally occurring acid that helps old skin to shed more quickly, therefore diminishing pimples.

Benzoyl peroxide: A topical ointment with an antibacterial effect. It also has a mild drying effect.

Clindamycin: An antibiotic used to treat rosacea.

Comedones: The basic acne lesion, which is an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria.

Conjunctivitis: A condition in which the eyelids may be inflamed or appear scaly.

Demodex folliculorum: Tiny mites that live in the hair follicles.

Dermabrasion: A resurfacing technique used especially to treat deep defects of the skin such as acne scars, heavy wrinkles and the disfiguring effects of skin conditions, such as rosacea. The procedure involves the mechanical sanding of the upper layers of the skin. With dermabrasion, a new layer of skin replaces the abraded skin during healing, resulting in a smoother appearance.

Doxycycline: An oral antibiotic used to treat rosacea.

Electrosurgery: A treatment that involves numbing the area, burning it with an electric current, and then scraping it off.

Erythromycin: A topical or oral antibiotic used to treat rosacea.

Glycolic acid peels: Part of the chemical family referred to as alpha-hydroxy acids. Glycolic acid is a naturally occurring compound in sugar cane. When applied, it helps to dissolve the outer layer of skin.

Helicobacter pylori: A bacterium that is known to cause stomach ulcers and ulcers in the first part of the small intestine, or duodenum.

Inflammatory rosacea: A form of the disease in which sufferers develop pink bumps and pimples.

Intense light and laser therapy: Intense light and laser therapy uses multiple wavelengths of light to treat dilated blood vessels in the face. Since the laser uses light, rather than needles or incisions, the treatment feels like a pinch or a snap of an elastic band. Both treatments take 15-to-30 minutes and are performed at six-to-12 week intervals. Patients may require several treatments initially, and may return annually for treatment of new blood vessels.

Isotretinoin: A powerful medication usually prescribed for cystic acne. This medication can be used for severe cases of rosacea, but only for selected candidates, as isotretinoin can cause serious side effects and birth defects.

Metronidazole: A topical antibiotic (in gel, cream, or lotion form) used to treat rosacea.

Minocycline: An oral antibiotic used to treat more severe cases of rosacea.

Nodularities: Increased density of skin tissue that causes a lumpy texture, such as that seen in an advanced stage of rosacea.

Papules: Pink bumps on the skin.

Prerosacea: The earliest recognizable stage of rosacea. Among the common symptoms of this phase of rosacea are frequent episodes of flushing and redness of the face and neck.

Pustules: Pus-filled pimples.

Rhinophyma: This is the condition that gave the late comedian W.C. Fields his trademark nose. Rhinophyma usually occurs in men and happens in advanced stage rosacea, when the oil glands on the nose become enlarged and the nose becomes bumpy, red and enlarged.

Rosacea: A common skin disease that causes redness and swelling on the face.

Sign: A visible indication of a medical condition, such as flushing, thickened skin or visible red blood vessels.

Sulfacetamide: An antibiotic used to treat rosacea.

Sulfer lotions: A topical therapy that causes drying and peeling of the skin, allowing excess oil and dirt to be easily washed away.

Symptom: An indication of a medical condition caused by a sensation that the patient feels (burning and stinging on the face or eyes that itch) or a change in the way the patient’s body functions (blurred vision).

Telangiectasia: A condition in which the blood vessels under the facial skin swell. These blood vessels look like thick red lines on the face, usually on the cheeks. Also telangiectasis.

Tetracycline: An oral antibiotic used to treat more severe cases of rosacea.

Vascular lasers: Lasers that emit specific wavelengths of light to treat the tiny visible blood vessels just under the skin. The heat from the targeted therapy builds in the vessels, causing them to collapse.

Vascular rosacea: A type of rosacea commonly seen in women, in which blood vessels under the facial skin swell. People with this condition notice flushing and redness become more persistent and, eventually, permanent.