Are you guilty of complaining about your complexion? Well, if you have Rosacea, you have reason to. But there is salvation out there, discovers Emma Bangay. She explores the reality of living with the skin condition and rosacea treatments available.
The Reality:
Rosacea is a skin condition that causes redness, flushing, pimples and dilated capillaries on the face with varying degrees ranging from a diffused redness over the central face causing a generally ruddy complexion, through to acne rosacea which causes acne, lumps and a thickening of the skin giving an orange peel effect.
“It may begin as a tendency to flush or blush easily and gradually progresses to a more persistent redness and occasionally swelling across the bridge of the nose and into the cheeks, forehead, and chin,” explains Melanie Grant, Sydney-based facialist to Delta Goodrem and Lara Bingle. “As it progresses, capillaries, small red bumps, pimples, occasionally even larger cysts appear in the area.”
Rosacea almost always becomes worse without treatment and rarely goes away on its own. In the more advanced cases of rosacea, a condition called rhinophyma may develop, Melanie explains. “The oil glands and the blood vessels on the nose enlarge so much that the nose becomes bulbous in appearance.”
The Reasons:
Although causes are unknown, it can be exacerbated by the consumption of alcohol, spicy food, hot drinks, heated environments, wind and sun exposure, hot showers, baths and saunas and certain medications.
“Rosacea can occur at any age but is most likely to start in your 30s,” Melanie explains. “The most likely people to develop rosacea are female with a Celtic (English or Irish) background and many rosacea sufferers are fair skinned, between the ages of 30 and 50,” she notes. “Although rosacea also affects men and occasionally teenagers.”
Rosacea Treatments:
- “There’s no known cure for Rosacea, however there are many ways to manage the condition,” assures Melanie.
- “Application of oils are excellent for Rosacea,” says Subtle Energies creator Farida Irani. Cooling face masks can also help.
- “Alkalizing the blood and eliminating toxins through cooling foods and tonics we ingest is also of extreme importance.” Aside from skincare, in-salon treatments such as IPL and Pulse dye laser is extremely effective in reducing the appearance of rosacea, adds Melanie.
Other do’s and don’ts in Rosacea Treatment include:
DO:
- Wear a good quality sunscreen every day.
- Use gentle skincare designed for a more sensitive skin.
- Work out what triggers your Rosacea so you know what to avoid.
DON’T:
- Use harsh skincare or anything too active.
- Drink alcohol excessively
- Use cortisone creams or antibiotics for extended periods of time
Try:
- Pevonia RS2 Gentle Cleanser, $70, from Pevonia.com.au is designed specifically for rosacea-affected skin. It combines green tea and chamomile to leave skin feeling clean, soothed and decongested.
- Eminence Organics Calm Skin Chamomile Moisturiser, $102, is suitable for sensitive and rosacea-prone skin. Enriched with calming chamomile, arnica, shea butter and calendula oil, it soothes irritation and hydrates sensitive skin. From Eminenceorganics.com.au
- Subtle Energies Facial Blend for Rosacea, $110 gives skin a youthful glow, providing rejuvenation and hydration to dry and normal skin types. Pure essential oils of Mogra, Sandalwood and Indian Rose blend in a base oil of Jojoba and the fortifying oil of Ashwagandha to revitalize the appearance of damaged skin. From SubtleEnergies.com.au
- PRIORI Advanced AHA Barrier Repair Complex Cosmeceuticals, $120, is a rich and nourishing cream that works in several ways to restore the skin’s delicate moisture balance. From selected spa’s and SpaUniverse.com.au
- Monoderma Vitamin E capsules, 28 capsules of 0.5mL, offer soothing, hydrating, calming and repairing properties that benefits rosacea skin types. Stockists call: 1800 808 993
- HydroPeptide Soothing Serum, $190, from Hydropeptide.com.au. As the name indications, this soothes and repairs with a blend of calming, anti-redness peptides and botanicals.
- Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream, $90, offers daily relief for skin with persistent redness. It has a slight green tint and acts immediately to quell visible redness and blotchiness, while soothing to cool discomfort. From Clinique.com.au
