Rosacea - A Battle Plan
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Rosacea is a mysterious disorder that continues to receive very little focus by the general medical
community. According to the National Rosacea Society, Rosacea is a chronic, acne-like condition of the facial skin.
It typically first appears as a flushing or subtle redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that comes and
goes. If left untreated, Rosacea tends to worsen over time. As the condition progresses, the redness becomes more
persistent. Bumps and pimples called papules and pustules appear and small, dilated blood vessels may become
visible on the face, chest and scalp.
Battle Plan for Rosacea
Red, flushed cheeks; swollen, almost bulging oil
glands; dry flaky skin often with an oily layer
underneath; overly sensitive skin that reacts to
everything; and red pimple-like lumps is a description
of what rosacea can look like. Untreated, rosacea almost
always gets worse and it just doesn't feel pretty
when you have it.
With rosacea there are no easy answers.
Even well-formulated products, primarily meaning
those that are free of topical skin irritants, can
be a problem for rosacea. This stubborn skin disorder
is frustrating and extremely difficult to treat.
So where do you begin? The best place to start
is with a dermatologist who has experience with this
disorder, because rosacea is often misdiagnosed.
Next come skin-care considerations, to be sure the
products you are using aren't making matters worse,
and then lifestyle considerations, because what you
do can cause flare-ups.
Causes and treatments:
No one really knows what causes rosacea but it
is suspected that some kind of microbe under the skin
is causing the symptoms. Killing off this microbe
seems to be the most helpful way to improve the
appearance of skin and, if caught early enough, keep matters
from getting worse. Only a handful of treatments for rosacea
exist, and they are all available by prescription only.
There are five topicals: MetroLotion, MetroGel,
MetroCream, Noritate, and Azelaic acid. The success of
these topical medications when combined with an
oral antibiotic can be up to 80% in some studies.
Gentle skin-care products:
The National Rosacea Society (www.rosacea.org)
surveyed 1,000 of their members, who identified
alcohol, witch hazel, fragrance, menthol, peppermint,
and eucalyptus as contributing to flareups. Even if
you've been diligent in checking your products you can still
run into problems because it is often hard to determine
what is causing your own specific flareups.
Salicylic Acid treatment:
Anecdotal information is correct when it points to
the benefits of using a gentle toner or moisturizer
that contains salicylic acid (BHA) in a pH of 3 to 4.
This can be a great option for those with rosacea.
Salicylic acid is an exfoliant that helps to remove
the built-up layers of dry flaky skin on the face, and
because salicylic acid is related to aspirin (both are
salicylates) it can also have anti-inflammatory
properties on the skin, reducing redness and swelling.
Anecdotal evidence has also listed products containing Green Tea
as being beneficial in managing Rosacea.
Several lifestyle factors can make rosacea worse.
These catalysts include hot liquids, spicy foods,
exposure to extreme temperatures (including cooking
over a hot stove), alcohol consumption, sunlight,
stress, saunas, hot tubs, smoking, rubbing or
massaging the skin, irritating cosmetics, and
anything else that overstimulates the skin and
blood vessels.
Rosacea can also be exacerbated by AHAs (Glycolic Acid for instance),
Retin-A, Renova, Differin, exfoliants of any kind, including scrubs and
washcloths, and clay-based facial masks. The
less you do, the happier rosacea-afflicted skin
is going to be.
Some recommended products include:
Redness and Blemish Control
Blemish Control Astringent with Salicylic Acid
Wonder Cloth Cleasing Cloth
Gentle Clean Cleansing Bar or Glentle Clean Liquid Cleanser
Squalene Oil, Super Rich Moisturizer
Skin Refining Concentrate Acid-Free Skin Refiner
Green Tea Cleanser, Toner, Moisturizer
The information provided herein should not be used
for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.
A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis
and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
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