RED-NOSED "BABY BOOMERS" are now less likely to become a serious threat to the aesthetics of American life, thanks to recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Metro-Gel, the first product specifically developed to treat acne rosacea.
Metro-Gel (metronidazole, 0.75% topical gel) was developed by Curatek Pharmaceuticals, Elk Grove Village, Ill. Rosacea, a dermatologic disease whose etiology is unknown, typically affects fair-skinned men and women in their 30s and 40s who flush or blush easily.
The red patches on forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin that typify the disorder wax and wane for reasons not understood. But spontaneous remission is rare and the problem generally worsens without treatment.
Ah, yaaas...
Commonly called "adult acne," the disease is characterized by the progressive development of erythema, telangiectasia, edema, papules and pustules, and finally rhinophyma, the bright pink proboscis that was prominent on bibulous-acting comedian W. C. Fields.This typical feature is probably