Rosacea: What is it?
Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin disorder that is characterised by over-sensitive blood vessels.
It varies in symptoms and severity from simple tendency to flushing through to consistent redness, elevated dark red/brown lesions, spots and in severe cases sebaceous gland growth leading to disfigurement (whiskey nose!). It is often mistaken for acne but the difference is that there are no blackheads or whiteheads present in rosacea sufferers. It is very important to get a correct diagnosis of rosacea because while there is no cure at the moment, correct treatment can prevent it’s progression.
At Skin Essentials, we have a great track record of keeping the symptoms of this upsetting skin condition under long-term control.
There are many triggers that alone or combined can start episodes of rosacea in people that are prone to it. These include:
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Sun Exposure
- Harsh Skincare
- Some Medications
- Hormonal Activity
- Spicy Foods
- Some cosmetics
- Stress
- Extremes of temperature
What it is not:
There have been many theories over the years as to what causes rosacea but the fact is that we don’t yet know exactly the physiology of how it begins. Unfortunately, some people are just born with the potential to develop rosacea. If it is in the family you will be more prone to developing it, so early preventive treatment is advised. Also, if you have no family history you can still develop rosacea as a consequence of a mixture of lifestyle factors such as sun exposure history, medical issues and factors such as diet, cigarette consumption etc.
What can you do?
As well as isolating the trigger factors that are a relevant to you and avoiding them where possible, correct skincare can help. In the first instance we use anti-inflammatory ingredients to address the root cause of rosacea: overactive immune response.
Secondly, it is a breakdown in the skin’s surface and protective barrier that aggravates the rosacea skin type. These can be strengthened with the right ingredients to minimise reactions and soothe inflammation. Look for ingredients such as liquorice, niacinamide, horse chestnut, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and healing oils among others. Gentle cleansing is vitally important, stay away from foaming cleansers, I recommend using a cleansing oil such as my Skin Comfort Cleanser which won’t strip or aggravate the skin’s surface.
Avoid all skincare containing fragrance or essential oils. UV exposure can also be a big exacerbating factor / trigger so diligent use of a daily SPF30 is a must.
LED Biophototherapy is a great clinical treatment option to reduce symptoms and accelerate the results of your control home care programme. Ask one of our skin experts about this treatment in-clinic or call 086 3823608 / 053 9145981.
In the Skin Essentials by Mariga range the key products are Lipid Repair Concentrate which strengthens the skin’s outer defences and Anti-Redness Concentrate which re-densifies the skin, strengthening it from within while calming inflammation. For skin that is also dry, add in our Skin Comfort Cream, a rich, non-greasy moisturiser packed full of anti-redness, anti-inflammatory ingredients.
See the full range here.
Rosacea is a huge subject, with as many variations as there are individual cases so I hope I have covered the basics for you.
To establish your level of rosacea or to assess your risk of developing it, we advise having our comprehensive skin analysis.
Update 1/4/2021: For the month of April, purchase our Rosacea Skincare Bundle and save €27!
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