Skincare Treated

Tips for Rosacea Skin Care

Rosacea is a harmless skin condition accompanied by redness or flushing of the face. In some cases, papules or lumps may appear on the skin but unlike acne, patients do not develop white heads or blackheads. Here’s a look at rosacea and skin care techniques that can minimize or alleviate your anxiety.

“Blushing Disease”

Remember, the main symptom is flushing or dilation of the facial capillaries accompanied occasionally by irritation or itchiness. This usually appears in the middle of the face or can encompass the entire face, forehead and chin as well.

Treatment of rosacea and skin care at the very basic level includes the use of skin cleansers to maintain hygiene so that the skin is not aggravated. Gentle cleansing with mild soap and water is the best option to keep the skin clean and breathing.

The disease is chronic, which means it will last several years. Hence, women in particular, are anxious to know whether the use of cosmetics will aggravate the skin and cause the disease to flare.

Cosmetics Can Aggravate

When using a cosmetic product, check the label and watch out for the active ingredients in it. Whether a cleanser or moisturiser, make sure the cosmetic is alcohol-free and non-comedogenic.

Comedones are tiny plugs that block the pores and develop when excess oil in the hair follicle along with dead skin cells builds up. These result in white heads and then blackheads. A basic symptom of acne, comedones are not found in rosacea patients but it is a good idea to use cosmetic products that are non-comedogenic.

If you’re looking to camouflage the redness and bumpy look, applying a foundation may not be a bad idea. Again, read the label on the product and determine whether it contains an active ingredient called titanium dioxide. It is not oily and also contains starch and kaolin that helps thicken the foundation and make for more effective camouflage.

Sun Exposure

Prolonged exposure to sunlight tends to aggravate rosacea and cause flare-ups, leaving patients with a flushed look after they step indoors from a walk in the sun. This is because the ultraviolet light in the sunlight irritates the small blood vessels to capillaries just under the surface of the skin. A mild sunscreen lotion with an SPF of 5 or more should take care of this.

Another precaution is to avoid the use of cortisone medications. These steroids are almost certain to cause outbreaks of flushing.

Rosacea varies in severity and treatment will vary accordingly. There are a number of options for medical treatment and in more severe cases, surgery is an effective option.

Medical formulations include a variety drugs whose main ingredients are either azelaic acid, sodium sulfacetamide or topical metronidazole. Azelaic acid works to reduce pigment formation while the other two reduce redness and bacterial infection if any.

Deep Scarring

A great worry for a large number of rosacea patients are the thin red lines that appear on the face. These are basically broken capillaries present just under the epidermis or outermost covering of the skin.

The flushing or blushing in rosacea occurs due to extreme dilation of the capillaries, which over time burst and lead to telangiectasias around the nose, cheeks and chin. Since this could make for an ugly appearance, it is a cause of great concern but there are ways this condition can be treated.

Camouflage make-up and skin foundations can be used to conceal the effect and green-based moisturisers are recommended.

Minor surgery is another option, where a laser is used to seal off the dilated and broken blood vessels.

Rosacea in some cases resembles acne and is often confused with it. It is in fact sometimes called “adult acne”. The two skin diseases are actually quite different and any resemblance is purely superficial.

Hence treatment of rosacea and skin care is an issue that must be examined in the light of this fact.