It was the network of visible blood vessels on her face that bothered Rita Edwards the most. As a frequent blusher, she was accustomed to having "high color" on her face, but this was more than she could bear.

"They made my face look purple-red," she said. "I also had dry, bumpy skin, almost like acne."

Even though she doesn't like to wear makeup, Rita tried foundations and creams to cover her blemishes, redness and blood vessels. "But they just couldn't be covered," Rita said.

"People would ask me what was wrong when my face got red," she said.

"I would see strangers in the stores stare and look at me funny."

It was more than she could handle. So Rita made an appointment to see a dermatologist. Her doctor diagnosed rosacea and prescribed a topical medication to control redness and blemishes. He also recommended some laser surgery to remove the visible blood vessels.

"I had the veins zapped away and for the first month, my face looked horrible," Rita said. "Slowly, it got better and now I just go periodically to have more veins removed."

In addition to occasional laser surgery, Rita has adopted a strict skin-care routine. She washes with a mild cleanser and warm water, using a gentle rubbing motion. She then applies her topical medication, followed by a vitamin cream she has found very helpful for her skin.

"The texture, color and dryness of my face are better than they have been in years," Rita said. "My skin looks very young."