If you have rosacea (or wondering if you have it) the idea of trying out another product probably has you breaking out in a rash. Not only are you battling a persistent red flush, but your smooth matte complexion takes on a rough and uneven appearance with every flare-up. And can take months to get back under control.
Does this sound familiar?
The good news is that even though rosacea is a persistent skin condition, you do have options for calming and soothing the redness and maintaining your results. But first, let’s dive into how your rosacea skin condition could be showing up.
Rosacea Definition
Rosacea (pronounced roe-ZAY-she-uh) is a common inflammatory skin disorder. It causes flushing, redness, and dry lesions, usually on the face. While there’s no known cure, it’s possible to manage rosacea flare-up symptoms. The critical first step in getting your rosacea under control is confirming that you have rosacea, as it’s sometimes mistaken for acne. While the symptoms may be similar, the skincare required can be very different.
Learn about the difference between acne and rosacea.
How Do You Know If You Have Rosacea?
The mildest rosacea symptom is a red flush across your nose and cheeks. It may extend to the middle of your forehead or chin. Both sides of the face will likely have the same pattern.
Rosacea Flare-up Symptoms
You may experience a flare-up of your symptoms at times. Flare-ups could include an increase of redness, bumps, and pustules. Other rosacea symptoms include a burning sensation and visible blood vessels. In rare cases, when the skin cracks or breaks, rosacea could lead to bleeding or infection.
But the thing that may concern you the most is the way it looks. The redness can be hard to cover up, especially if rosacea has made your skin bumpy, swollen, or flaky. In severe cases, the nose skin becomes thickened—a condition called rhinophyma.
What Causes Rosacea?
Its estimated hundreds of millions of people worldwide are living with rosacea. It mainly occurs in women between the ages of 30–50 with lighter skin. And, unfortunately, the causes of rosacea are not entirely understood. But some of the factors thought to be linked with rosacea include:
Immune system dysregulation
Changes in the nervous and the vascular system
Excessive amounts of microscopic demodex folliculorum mites (Microbes that are part of the normal skin flora)
Rosacea Triggers List
There is a long list of things that can trigger rosacea flare-ups. But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you need to avoid all these things. Not everyone will be susceptible to all triggers. Look for patterns. And then avoid those things as much as possible.
Here’s a list of possible things that could be triggering your rosacea:
Sun exposure
Hot drinks
Red wine
Alcohol
Drugs that dilate blood vessels
Some skin or hair products
Spicy foods
Stress
Pollutants
Temperature changes
Caffeine
Exercise
Rosacea Skin Care Triggers
This is where it’s important to identify whether you have acne or rosacea. Because some products that are good for acne could wreak havoc on your skin. If you do have rosacea you want to stay away from:
Witch hazel
Alcohol
Chemical exfoliants such as Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Over scrubbing with scrubs or mechanical exfoliants
Stripping or high foam cleansers
Clay or charcoal masks
Astringents
Rosacea Symptoms in Different Skin Colour
Rosacea is more common for people with light skin. But it can occur in people with dark skin as well. If you have dark skin, you might find that your skin is more prone to bumpiness and thickening accompanied by a burning sensation. You might not notice any redness, and it may not occur at all.
Types of Rosacea
Still not sure if rosacea is responsible for your red flush? There are 4 different types of rosacea and they present different symptom. They are:
Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea
It’s a mouthful, we know! This type of rosacea induces flushing, persistent erythema (a type of rash) in the centre of your face, and visible blood vessels.
Papulopustular Rosacea
This type of rosacea also tends to be focused on the centre of the face, with papules or pustules. This could easily be confused with acne.
Phymatous Rosacea
The skin thickens with this kind of rosacea. You may notice enlarged pores and an uneven surface. It occurs most commonly on the nose (rhinophyma).
Ocular Rosacea
A rare symptom of rosacea is a condition called ocular rosacea. Your eyes appear watery or bloodshot, and you’ll experience a burning, stinging, or tearing sensation.
Rosacea Treatment Options
Unfortunately, there’s no known cure for rosacea. But that doesn’t mean you have to put up with a persistent red flush, visible blood vessels, pustules, and discomfort. Here are 5 things that could help control your symptoms so you can get on with life.
Avoid Triggers
The most obvious thing to do is to avoid the things that trigger you. This could mean changing your diet and lifestyle to avoid inflammatory factors such as sun exposure, stress, alcohol, spicy foods and coffee.
Medical Treatments
Talk to your physician about your rosacea. Some medical interventions could help improve your rosacea symptoms, including medication and even surgery. A hydrogen or methane test can determine any SIBOs (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) which may contribute to systemic inflammation. Other tests can determine other contributing factors such as demodex mites.
Microneedling
Dermapen Treatments have been shown to be effective for rosacea. Talk to an Authorised Treatment Provider today to get started or keep reading to find out how and why it’s so effective. With clinical and home microneedling options, we’ve got you and your rosacea covered.
LED Therapy
Dp Dermaceuticals L.E.D. Masks emit red and near-infrared light. These wavelengths are proven to rejuvenate all skin types and assist with many skin concerns, including redness caused by rosacea and skin sensitivity.
Topical Skincare
We know that trying out different lotions and creams on your skin is a risky business when you have rosacea. Our skincare was developed in consultation with aestheticians and medical practitioners around the world.
Caring for Rosacea Skin
When you have rosacea, it’s tempting to avoid skincare products altogether. Sometimes it feels like even the most “natural” and gentle ingredients will set your skin off on a spiral of self-destruction. Rosacea makes your skin volatile and sensitive, but once you have the proper skin care, you can cross that massive frustration off your list and enjoy calmer, more balanced skin. Our Dp Dermaceutical range for rosacea homecare supports the skin’s natural barrier function to reinforce protection.
And remember—that the less friction on your skin, the better. So, make sure to apply your products gently by patting them on and off. Avoid vigorous scrubbing at all costs.
Cleanse
It’s not just choosing the right moisturiser that matters. You need to cleanse the skin first. This helps prep your skin to absorb the actives in the skincare you’re using. But at the same time, your skin is hypersensitive, and you don’t want to use anything that breaks down your natural acid mantle.
With a soothing blend of Grape Seed and Rice Bran Oil, this gentle cleanser removes the environmental build-up and stubborn make-up without stripping the acid mantle. It transitions from balm to gel and then milk with the addition of water, so it washes off easily—no scrubbing required.
Studies suggest a link between rosacea and microscopic mites on the skin surface. You can rebalance the skin’s natural biome with CLINIPREP. This antimicrobial solution:
Doesn’t contain alcohol (a big no-no for rosacea)
Has the same pH balance as your skin
Encourages healing
In the words of Clinical Director and Global Medical Trainer Dr Andrew R. Christie-Schwarz, “CLINIPREP allows wound healing to occur more quickly, reduces facial redness in sensitised skin and is non-cytotoxic. This is important as I treat many facial injectable patients who struggle with sensitised skin and rosacea, which becomes irritated and inflamed following skin disinfection using alcohol-based skin preparation solutions.”
Nourish
The environment (pollution and temperature) plays a role in your rosacea. While a move to the fresh country air might not be on the cards, you can put up a barrier against environmental factors wreaking havoc on your skin with an appropriate serum. Give your skin the tools it needs to resist elements out of your control.
We designed this incredible serum to guard against free radical attacks following a Dermapen Treatment, but it’s now widely adopted for various concerns. And it’s perfect for rosacea. It’s rich in Niacinamide (rosacea’s very own wonder ingredient) to soothe red and irritated skin. The botanical polyphenols and bioflavonoids reduce visible redness and irritation.
Correct
With Dp Dermaceuticals, you benefit from some of the same actives as everyone else. Hello, Vitamin A! Vitamin A derivatives, such as medical-grade Retinaldehyde, and fractionated esters, including Retinyl Palmitate, deliver benefits without the traditional irritation and photosensitivity.
Use this luxuriously light cream in the morning to ensure barrier protection from free radical exposure. It helps to visibly strengthen vulnerable complexions. Your skin is left feeling nourished and comforted.
Finally! A Vitamin A anti-ageing night cream your skin tolerates. This easily absorbed cream smooths and lifts skin and promotes regeneration of your skin’s appearance.
Moisturise
When looking for a moisturiser, you want something that’s ultra-rich and moisturising. But you need more than hydration. Your skin barrier is weakened. Finding a moisturiser that repairs that barrier helps keep out irritants and allergens, which can prevent flare-ups.
The composition of the skin’s natural barrier function inspired this blend of lipids and humectants. It locks in hydration, shields skin from environmental impurities, and fortifies skin function. While it’s rich in moisture, it goes on light and doesn’t feel heavy or sluggish.
Protect
Sometimes life with rosacea feels like Catch-22. You need to protect yourself from sun exposure (trigger alert), but chemical sunscreens are also a trigger. Sigh.
Luckily choosing a mineral-based sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection can help keep you in the clear. Make sure it’s non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and fragrance-free to keep the redness, bumps, and pustules at bay.
Wouldn’t it be even better if your sunscreen also doubled as a cover for the redness and gave you a glowing matte finish? COVER RECOVER contains medicating actives and cooling and calming ingredients for red, inflamed skin. It’s non-comedogenic and provides broad-spectrum mineral SPF.
Step-by-Step Routine for Rosacea
Ready to kiss good-bye the endless, painful, and expensive experiment of trying to find products that work with your rosacea? Check out our carefully crafted Rosacea Skincare Routine. Get step-by-step instructions for an even and balanced complexion.
Dermapen Treatments: Triple Threat to Your Rosacea
Dermapen Treatments™ minimise the appearance of common rosacea symptoms. The Dermapen 4™ device creates thousands of microscopic channels in the skin. This works in 3 ways to reduce your rosacea flare-ups and keep your skin clear and balanced.
1. Normalises blood vessel creation
Dermapen Treatments for rosacea help normalise the creation of blood vessels (known as angiogenesis), replacing compromised capillaries with stronger ones.
2. Releases regulatory growth factors
Growth Factors are tiny communicators that help regulate normalised skin quality and function. When integrity is compromised growth factors are released and activated to heal and repair.
3. Improves skin’s integrity
Microneedling together with professional-only Meso-Glide™ serum MG-HA35+ or MG-R.A.S. improves the integrity of the dermis and epidermis (outer layers of your skin). This increases density and resiliency. Redness is visibly reduced, and your complexion feels less reactive.
Final Facts About Rosacea
Rosacea is a frustrating skin condition that often requires ongoing management. But it doesn’t have to take forever to figure out what your skin tolerates. Enlist the help of an Authorised Treatment Provider to help get your skin under control and follow the skincare routine for rosacea to get back your smooth, glowing skin.
If you are a professional and wish to learn how to become a DermapenWorld Authorised Treatment Provider, click here.
