What is Rosacea?
Rosacea, a facial skin condition affecting over 16 million Americans, is little understood. Rosacea can manifest as flushing across the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. The redness can also appear in conjunction with dilated, visible capillaries or rash-like patches. In most extreme cases, eyes can become chronically irritated and watery. Affected flushed skin can feel sensitive, dry or sunburned-resulting in a burning or stinging sensation.
Though it’s not harmful to one’s health, rosacea affects the face. And as many might know first-hand, facial problems can be a cause for emotional stress and anxiety. For this reason, National Rosacea Society aims to educate the public about rosacea-emphasizing the importance of professional diagnosis and treatment.
National Rosacea Society reports that 76% of patients say that rosacea negatively affects their confidence and self-esteem, 41% have even confessed to missing work and social engagement because of their appearance. These numbers demonstrate just how important it is to get rosacea under control before it runs rampant and becomes more than just cosmetically damaging
Avoiding Triggers
Are you a rosacea patient suffering from the redness, bumps, and sensitized skin? Have you tried avoiding foods, creams, and skin treatments to prevent future flare-ups? Here are some common triggers that rile up redness.
- Avoid alcohol: approximately 72% of rosacea patients say that red wine is the biggest alcoholic trigger. 31% say that just one drink causes a flare-up, the same percentage say that only half a drink will cause a flare-up, and 15% experience a flare-up after only a sip or two. To find out what other alcoholic beverages trigger a rosacea flare-up, check out the review on National Rosacea Society.
- Control your environment: Other common triggers are environmental extremes. The biting cold or a sharp breeze can trigger flare-ups. To ward off dry, sensitive skin, sunblock and moisturizers are recommended.
- Don’t get too warm: Some rosacea patients find that a rise in body temperature causes a flare-up. Common problem-makers are extreme indoor heating, hot steamy baths, and saunas.
- Watch your ingredients: Spicy foods are common trigger for many. But for those who love their flavors and can’t imagine a life without spice, check out some savory alternatives.
Reducing Redness
While the cause of rosacea is largely unknown, there’s evidence showing that rosacea can be calmed with laser treatment. Two common laser treatments used by rosacea patients are Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Laser Facials.
IPL applies broad-spectrum light to your skin, while Laser Facials heats your dermis which sits directly below your epidermis, or your outermost skin layer. Both treatments can reduce blotchy skin by diminishing redness and reducing the visibility of prominent capillaries. How do they work? Both treatments penetrate the skin, heating up the capillaries and causing them to collapse. They are naturally broken down and reabsorbed by the body.
Soothing Creams
Besides special treatments, rosacea patients maintain redness through their daily beauty routine. Various creams and beauty products can irritate rosacea. So many eliminate those outbreak-prompting products from their routine in favor of products specifically designed for sensitive skin or produced with calming ingredients.
Azulene Moisture Cream, with an anti-inflammatory ingredient azulene derived from chamomile, helps calm rosacea. For more information on what types of treatments and creams can help calm rosacea, check out the Rosacea Support Group.
As the National Rosacea Society emphasizes: though Rosacea is a chronic facial disorder, there are ways to bring it under control with treatment and lifestyle modifications. There’s no need to suffer. With some effort and careful choices, many rosacea patients have successfully improved their condition.