Effective Solutions for Rosacea

Rosacea affects about 16 million people in the United States. This skin disorder is caused by chronic inflammation, usually characterized by persistent redness on the cheeks and nose. In some cases, small pimples and eye irritation occur. This disease is often a frustrating and challenging condition to manage. 

Doctors still remain unsure what causes this condition but they do tend to lean toward believing that people with the condition tend to have more Demodex mites on the skin. We all carry these mites on our skin but people with rosacea have more of it and are more sensitive to it. Their immune system reacts to the mites which leads to inflammation on the skin. 

There's no cure for rosacea but there are many solutions to avoid flare-ups and reduce skin inflammation. 

1. See your doctor: Many patients are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed who explains the condition is often confused with acne, sun damage and just shrugged off as a rosy complexion. Until you know what you're treating, proper treatment cannot be applied. 

2. It's important to be aware of what you eat. Both spicy foods and caffeine have a tendency to make people flush, so they're likely to bring on rosacea flare-ups.

3. Avoid sun exposure. Getting a sun burn or overexposure to UV rays can trigger or aggravate rosacea. Stay out of the sun. Sun burns or overexposure to UV rays can trigger or aggravate rosacea.

4. Cleanse carefully. Be careful what you cleanse your skin with. Some products can aggravate symptoms. Skin prone to redness and irritation should be cleaned just once per day at night and avoid harsh foam cleansers. 

5. Avoid alcohol—and not just in cocktails. Drinking dilates blood vessels. Avoid products listing ‘alcohol denat.

6. Look for anti-inflammatory ingredients. There are all kinds of natural inflammation-fighting ingredients found in skin-care products. 

7. Use cold water whenever possible. Some sufferers can trigger flare-ups with hot water. Brown suggests soothing skin care products in the fridge. 

8. Cover wisely: Try mineral-based makeups are best for hiding the redness without further irritating the condition.