In our skin diary we will talk about rosacea , an inflammatory condition characterized by dilation of blood vessels on the surface of the skin, causing redness and flushing, especially on the cheekbones, forehead, chin and nose.
As our skin is the largest organ in the body and the one that has the most contact with the outside world, it reacts to many stimuli and reflects many internal conditions. In this way, it is essential to treat it well and understand the signs it gives us.
This condition is more common in people with:
- Fair, thin skin, although it can occur in people with dark skin.
- More common in women between 30 and 50 years old
- Strong genetic component prone
Different authors characterize rosacea in 4 phases/4 types. Regardless of the classification, these phases or types are well distinguishable from each other, but it is common for them to overlap:
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Rosacea erythematotelangectasia - The skin acquires a reddish tone and small vessels (telangectasias) become evident, mainly in the central facial region, close to the nasal alae. It can be triggered by several causes, and when an exacerbation happens, it gives a feeling of redness, heat and sometimes burning, as if the skin were burning. After flushing, scales and dry skin appear. This stage may also be called couprose.
- papular-pustular rosacea - In this type of rosacea, in addition to the reddish tone, the appearance of papulo-pustular lesions in outbreaks, as if they were pimples, hence its common name of acne rosacea. It is very important not to confuse this type of rosacea with acne, which is distinguished from rosacea by the absence of periods of redness and by the presence of blackheads and skin that tends to be oily.
- phymatous rosacea - This is the least frequent type and corresponds to a very advanced stage of the disease. The skin becomes thicker, hardened and reddened with enlarged pores. This type is characterized by enlargement and infiltration of areas such as the sebaceous glands in the nose and is more common in men aged 50 and over.
- ocular rosacea - As the name implies, this type targets the eye area. The indicative symptom of the disease is an inflammation (called blepharitis) with flaking in the eyelash area.
Image adapted from Azeal Dermatology
Types 1 and 2 are the most common and are the ones we are going to address, as they can be mitigated using appropriate dermo-cosmetics. However, there is no cure for skin disease, only the possibility of preventing or mitigating the symptoms.
What to avoid to prevent exacerbations:
- Alternating environments with large temperature differences, or at least avoid exposing your facial skin to extreme temperatures, especially very cold ones. Also avoid saunas and Turkish baths!
- Excessive exposure to the sun, even with sunscreen. The use of sunscreen is essential for any skin exposed to the sun, let alone a skin with rosacea, as UV rays dilate blood vessels, making them more visible. But you should avoid very prolonged sun exposure, as the resulting heat also has an effect on blood vessels.
- Consumption of alcoholic beverages and certain foods, such as spices, spices and caffeine;
- Intense or very prolonged physical exercise;
- Cosmetic products with alcohol (such as tonics), products with potentially irritating agents such as menthol, eucalyptus extract (eucalyptol), camphor, witch hazel, fragrances, propylene glycol or soaps. Products that make foam are also to be avoided, as well as physical/microdermabrasive exfoliants. AHA (glycolic acid, mandelic acid, lactic acid, citric acid) are generally sensitizing and should also be avoided.
- Some oral drugs, such as vasodilators, or amiodarone, topical corticosteroids, as well as high doses of B6 vitamins and B 12 can make rosacea worse.
- Stress and anxiety;
- Rubbing or massaging the face too much. Cleaning should be as gentle as possible, using appropriate products or just lukewarm water.
Now that you know what you should avoid doing to prevent the worsening of this inflammatory disease, read the treatment recommendations here.