Tips for Managing Rosacea
Do you have rosacea? If so you know that the redness, flaking, and inflammation can totally kill your vibe. Who wants to spend the day relieving the itchy feeling that dehydrated skin can bring especially because it only makes the rest of your skin itch too.
I’m sure you already know, but rosacea is a skin disorder identified by broken capillaries and dry skin. Capillaries are the small veins that blood flows through and once they are broken they become visible underneath the skin (sort of like spider veins).
Acne rosacea is another form of the disorder, but is accompanied by blemishes filled with puss.
Stay away from these things and manage rosacea
Why are you still indulging in drugs and alcohol?
No drugs & alcohol
Drugs and alcohol cause all kinds of issues, including those involving the skin. Alcohol is a significant factor in heightening symptoms of rosacea. When you consume alcohol, it causes your blood to flow faster which overheats your body and causes your skin to become red. The use of alcoholovertime can cause additional capillaries to burst, and your skin an unsightly appearance.
Smoking dehydrates the skin and the heat from the smoke can make capillaries visible. The smoke produces something called free radicals. These molecules float through the air looking for healthy skin cells to cling on to. Once the free radical has found its match it sucks all of the nutrients from it including collagen and elastin; the loss of vitamin c that you’ll experience from smoking will also deplete the skin of collagen and elastin. Cigarettes can also cause the blood vessels to dilate restricting blood flow, which is bound to cause redness.
The sun has two main ultraviolet rays, ultraviolet a (UVA) and ultraviolet b (UVB). UVB rays are what contributes to sunburn and tanning while UVA rays have the ability to irritate rosacea symptoms. UVA rays are very long and have the capacity to penetrate deep into the skin which can slow the immune system and become a trigger. If you are going to be in the sun, try to cover your skin with a piece lightweight clothing.
Stop using so much product
Certaincosmetics can irritate the skin causing rosacea to get worse, these ingredients include:
- Toners
- Exfoliants
- Perfume
- Makeup
- Hairspray
- Moisturizer
- Shaving lotion
- Soap
- Sunscreen
- Alcohol
- Witch hazel
- Menthol
- Peppermint
- Eucalyptus
Not all people will be affected by each of these cosmetics, and not all forms of these cosmetics cantrigger rosacea. You may have to do a trial and error ritual to find what products work best for you. Try not to switch products too often, it may shock your skin.
Your skin could be injured
Your rosacea could be activating because you are too rough on your skin. When you apply makeup or skincare, gently rub the skin instead of using loads of pressure. You could opt to use a synthetic haired makeup brush to apply your skincare if you tend to be heavy-handed. If you exfoliate, try to use enzyme peels,so you don’t risk damaging your skin with an abrasive scrub. For those who like scrubs, use a product with fine granules such as microbeads, dirt, rice, or sand.
Other tips for managing rosacea include:
- Genetics- Some people are genetically tied to rosacea, and there is nothing they can do about it.
- Digestion- Issues with digestion can cause the capillary walls to dilate.
- Pregnancy- Having a child drastically changes your body, it can also change your skin.
- Excessive heat– Being in a hot climate can cause telangiectasia (another word for broken capillaries). This includes consuming hot drinks such as tea or coffee.
- Topical Corticosteroids– Some medications have the power to affect the skin.
You are what you eat
The foods and beverages that you consume can also cause rosacea to flare. Adopt these dietary tips to keep rosacea under control:
Limit meat and dairy
Meat and dairy are typically the bulk of most people’s diets despite what can happen if you consume too much. Both of these items have an ingredient called Neu5Gc which isn’t recognizable by the human body. When the body contains a foreign element, the immune system takes over, and when this happens, rosacea can spark. Tyramine, an ingredient also present in meat, dilates the blood vessels and can cause a flushed appearance.
Put down the dessert
Chocolate is a common trigger for rosacea, in fact, in one study over 30% of subjects identified it as a personal one. The ingredient Tyramine, which is found in meat, is also found in chocolate and as discussed earlier has the ability to expand the capillaries. Theobromine, also found in chocolate, can increase blood flow which in turn causes redness.
You drink too much coffee
You’ve already been told that hot drinks can deliver red skin and coffee is often served at a warm temperature. The reason hot drinks affect rosacea is because when you consume one, your body temperature also changes. Caffeine is also a known trigger for rosacea so that makes coffee a double don’t.
What’s a histamine?
Sour cream, spinach, and yogurt are just a few foods that contain histamines. Consuming histamines can trigger the immune system and activate rosacea. Exposure to too many histamines can cause acne rosacea which means blemishes will appear along with your redness.
Where is your trigger tracker?
The key to managing rosacea like a pro is to identify your triggers. Your triggers are the things that cause your rosacea to become inflamed. An excellent way to keep track of these things is to make a trigger tracker. Your trigger can be on a piece of paper on in the memo section of your smartphone. Your tracker should include space for the name of the trigger, how much the trigger affected you, and for how long your symptoms lasted. You can also add additional columns to cater to your needs like how much of an individualingredient is required to cause rosacea symptoms to begin.
