Rosacea Treatment – Caring for Your Skin

Rosacea literally means skin that is red, or “rose-like”. It commonly affects the face, causing reddish bumps, sensitive skin, and visible blood vessels on the face. It may or may not lead to thickened skin on the nose.

Rosacea can be a particularly difficult condition to live with. Rosacea is known to have a variety of triggers, and avoiding these triggers would be the mainstay to help you maintain a good, healthy, and calm skin.

Try our FREE dermatology search engine and get peace of mind within a second.

 

What to Avoid

Avoiding hot drinks, spicy food, caffeine, alcohol, smoking, harsh temperatures. Plus, strong cleansing products, and certain chemicals present in cosmetics, is the usual advice for most people suffering from rosacea.

While your rosacea may range from anywhere between mild to severe, rosacea treatment involves a good skin care routine at the very least. Caring for skin with rosacea is all about soothing and calming the extra sensitive skin. Rosacea treatment also means avoiding anything which might trigger an attack or make things worse.

Try our FREE dermatology search engine and get peace of mind within a second.

 

Rosacea Treatment

Here are some tips for a good skincare routine for all patients with rosacea:

 

Cleansing

Please use only lukewarm or cold water. Hot water is a strict no-no, never to be splashed on your face. Staying for long in a hot bath or shower would also trigger the symptoms of rosacea.
Soap – Generally, most over the counter and commercial soaps and facewashes would be very harsh for skin with rosacea. Using a soap-free, hypoallergenic cleanser is always the way to go. In fact, only an occasional use of cleansers is recommended, with water sufficing, more often than not.

 

Avoid vigorous rubbing/massaging/picking at the spots

Skin with rosacea is very delicate and sensitive, and any sort of facials/massages/vigorous spa treatments could worsen the symptoms of rosacea.

 

Moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize

Skin with rosacea often tends to go dry and flaky. However, not every moisturiser would suit this skin type. A fragrance free, hypoallergenic moisturiser, designed for sensitive skin is your best bet. You may need to try out a few before you find one which calms your skin and does not cause any worsening of symptoms. Oat based moisturisers may also be useful.

 

Sunscreen

Sunlight is known to worsen rosacea, and protecting yourself from the sun is one of the most important ways to help reduce the symptoms. Use of a good sunscreen, likely a physical sunblock, free from chemicals, would be the ideal one for skin with rosacea. A sunscreen must be used at all times, in addition to usage of physical protective measures such as a hat and glares, to keep your skin from heating up and reacting to the UV light.

 

Be very regular with your medications 

If you have moderate to severe rosacea, your dermatologist has likely prescribed you some medicated creams to be applied. Sometimes includes tablets. The more regular you are in the usage of these creams, the better your skin will be.

 

Make-up

For many patients with rosacea, it can be visibly apparent on the face, and makeup becomes important to camouflage this redness. However, since skin with rosacea is very sensitive, it is very important to use the right kind of makeup, which does not flare-up your symptoms. Using cream based products would be better, however, please apply a bland moisturiser as the base layer, to protect your skin, before applying any other products. No make-up should ever be directly applied onto your skin. Also, the make-up must be cleansed off every night to avoid further reactions.

 

Caring for your eyes

Ocular rosacea can often be a component of rosacea, and even seen with the milder variants. Teary, dry eyes, and inflammation of the eyelids can occur. In such cases, use of artificial tears, cleaning regularly with lukewarm water, and regular use of sun protection for the eyes will help ease some of the symptoms. Use of bland moisturisers for the skin of the eyelids is also a must.

 

Caring for the lips

The area around the lips and the lips themselves are very sensitive, and may often be red, painful and inflamed during severe bouts of rosacea. For best rosacea treatment using petroleum jelly, bland, fragrance-free lip balms can help. Also, avoiding mouthwashes containing alcohol, as well as fluorinated toothpastes, can help manage these symptoms better. Avoid hot drinks and use of a steam or sauna for a facial would also go a long way in protecting your skin.

Try our FREE dermatology search engine and get peace of mind within a second.

 

Speak to Our Dermatologists

We hope some of these tips will help you take better care of your skin if you have rosacea! If you’re unsure on your skin and would like advice we’re only one image away! Our dermatologists are on hand to deal with any concern you may have within hours.