SEEING RED? Treating Rosacea
How do you like the cold weather? Do those long summer days feel hard to remember? Well at least by the time you read this, the shortest day of the year will have come and gone. Still, we have a number of weeks of cold to survive.
Because skin is my thing, I’m going to ask you how the cold affects your skin? Is it feeling dry, maybe a bit flaky, sensitive, perhaps a bit irritated, and bit pink? Winter weather and the heating devices we use to keep warm are all really drying. For some people, this will be enough to disrupt the skins protective barrier, resulting in a lot of the problems I’ve mentioned. You can be proactive in this, though.
Use more moisturiser, keep using your sunscreen, use a product like Rationale Proceramide Balm that provides actual protection for the surface of your skin as well as hydration. Visit your skin professional a bit more often to check how your skin is surviving and provide a customised facial treatment.
Some people will be affected more, and they are people who have Rosacea. With rosacea, your skin is already extra sensitive, the protective barrier is already often disrupted, and there is redness in the skin already!
Rosacea is a common, incurable skin condition, but it is controllable and medically manageable. True, untreated it will gradually worsen with time, but get onto it as soon as you can, and you can regain healthy skin. Over 45 million people worldwide have rosacea. Sometimes it is mistaken for rosy cheeks, sunburn or acne (sometimes called acne-rosacea).
It can affect all skin types but is most common in English, Scottish and Irish backgrounds. The symptoms can range from redness and easy flushing, acne type bumps, broken vessels on the skin, red eyes and even an enlarging lumpy nose! It can occur alongside other skin problems too. 25% of people with rosacea have seborrheic dermatitis as well.
Your skin professional can usually diagnose it just by looking, but occasionally it may require a biopsy. It can be triggered by stress, smoking, alcohol, sun exposure and spicy foods, and even some medications.
Once you know that’s what you’re dealing with, make a plan. This is sensitive skin, so make sure you are not aggravating your skin with creams, scrubs, cleansers, masks, makeup etc at home. Get advice from an expert – an actual expert - about what will be best to use.
Many foods we eat can make our skin inflamed (the gut/skin axis). Foods high in fat and sugar are classics for this. Dairy can also contribute, and of course, alcohol will dilate blood vessels and dehydrate the skin. (So sitting in front of the fire with the red wine is definitely not good for you!)
Broadband Light and LED are treatments we regularly use at The Mayah Clinic as part of a Rosacea management program. Prescription medications like antibiotics can also be used.
The most important thing to understand is that something can be done to treat rosacea. Learning about how your skin works and partnering with a professional clinic on this journey will help put you on the road to healthy skin.
For more information about The Mayah Clinic visit www.themayahclinic.com.au
The Mayah Clinic is a professional boutique skin care clinic in Lakelands. They provide a wide variety of beauty treatments, skin care, cosmetic medicine and laser, cosmetic tattooing, Emcyte Pure PRP and Vaginal Rejuvenation.
