Rosacea is a skin condition that often slips under the radar until it becomes impossible to ignore. This chronic disorder, affecting 1 in 5 people, isn't merely a temporary issue—it's a persistent challenge that impacts everyday life.
Understanding Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic dermatological condition predominantly affecting the central face. Characterized by a permanent flush that mimics a sunburn or acne, it can be mistaken for other skin issues. Rosacea stands out with its unique symptoms and triggers.
Symptoms to Watch Out For
- Persistent Redness: Often seen as a constant flush on the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead.
- Visible Blood Vessels: Prominent small blood vessels on the face.
- Bumps and Pimples: The appearance of small red bumps or pus-filled pimples.
- Eye Irritation: Known as ocular rosacea, this includes dry, irritated, and swollen eyes and eyelids.
- Skin Thickening: This mainly affects the nose and is referred to as rhinophyma, where the skin thickens.
Potential Triggers
The exact cause of rosacea is still unknown, but several factors are known to trigger or worsen its symptoms:
- Environmental factors like sun or wind exposure.
- Consumption of hot drinks, spicy foods, and alcohol.
- Extreme temperatures and emotional stress.
- Certain medications and skincare products.
Rosacea Skin Changes: From Healthy to Reactive
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Healthy Skin
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Rosacea-Affected Skin
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Types of Rosacea
Rosacea is a complex condition with four main clinical subtypes, each presenting unique challenges:
- Erythemato-telangiectatic Rosacea: Characterised by flushing and visible blood vessels.
- Papulopustular Rosacea: Resembles acne with central facial papules and pustules.
- Phymatous Rosacea: Involves thickened skin and enlarged pores, often giving the nose a bulbous appearance.
- Ocular Rosacea: Causes watery or bloodshot eyes, often accompanied by a burning sensation.
Managing Rosacea
While a cure for rosacea remains distant, effective management is possible:
- Medical Treatments: Oral and topical medications like Azelaic Acid (15%) and Ivermectin cream, both of which require a prescription, can help manage redness and help control the colonisation of Demodex mites.
- Laser and Light Treatments: These are effective for reducing visible blood vessels and persistent redness. Types include pulsed dye laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), and others, which help by targeting the overactive blood vessels.
- Dietary Adjustments: Some people benefit from following a low-inflammatory diet or avoiding specific triggers like caffeine and spicy foods. Keeping a food diary can help identify personal triggers.
- Skincare Routine: Employing a gentle skincare routine with mild cleansers and actives helps manage symptoms. Sekkeizu's AM Serum is a clinically tested Vitamin C serum that also soothes and calms inflamed skin and can be used on Rosacea. Our founder, Andjelka suffers with Rosacea and formulated this serum to be powerful in it's actives but gentle in delivery.
- Protection: The biggest factor in helping prevent Rosacea from worsening is by using sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection. A dedicated SPF for Rosacea that we have used and like is the Heliocare 360 A-R Emulsion.
- Long-Term Management Strategies: This includes regular consultations with a dermatologist, ongoing assessment of skin care routines, and adjustments in treatments as needed.
- Andjelka’s Tip: warm it up on the back of your hand until it isn’t green anymore, then lightly tap it onto red areas and gently blend outwards until it’s a match to your own skin. A little goes a very long way with this product so buy the smallest travel size items first.