Treating… rosacea

From time to time we all have unhappy skin on our face. But what if this isn’t just a temporary flare up, but instead rosacea, a more complex condition that requires specialist skincare.

“Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that can be characterised by red patches on the face. It can affect anyone, and is mainly found in adults between the ages of 30 and 60,” says Marie Therese Burke, Head of Training with Graham Anthony Distribution.

And, as Dr Michèle Sayag, Medical Strategy Director of Laboratoire Bioderma explains, us Irish can be more prone to this condition.

“Rosacea is an inflammatory recurrent skin disease, more frequent in the North of Europe (Ireland, Scotland and Scandinavia). Women with fair skin are more prone to be affected.”

Jeanette Hayes, Clinical Director of Bodybenefits Aesthetic Clinic, Galway says: “Rosacea is a progressive inflammatory skin disorder, normally associated with fair Celtic skins. As opposed to darker skin types, fair Celtic skin has much less natural melanin protection and therefore suffers more from environmental factors i.e. excessive sun exposure or sunburn, wind, cold, outdoor activities like sailing, hill walking, wind surfing, golf etc. The damage tends to happen before the age of 20 but the symptoms start to manifest between 30 and 50. Once the symptoms are triggered, they get progressively worse over time, so the earlier a person seeks treatment the better.”

There may also be a hereditary element, explains Laura Murphy xxx from La Roche-Posay.

“Rosacea can run in the family. Onset usually occurs in our mid-20s. It is more prominent in women than men, however when men get it their symptoms are often more severe.”

It is, however, a case of management rather than cure as Laura explains. “There are cases where it can spontaneously resolve itself, or ‘burn itself out’ but unfortunately there is no official ‘cure’ for rosacea. However it is possible to manage the symptoms with certain lifestyle changes, medication, suitable cosmetics, and avoidance of triggers.”

Identifying the condition is the first step in managing it and there are some tell-tale symptoms to look out for that might suggest it’s rosacea you’re suffering from. Redness is the first thing to look out for.

“The first stage of Rosacea is where a redness appears on the face’s skin, appearing similar to a sunburn. This is caused by flushing – when excess blood rapidly flows through the skin's blood vessels, which then need to enlarge in order to handle this flow. After a period of time facial skin can become very dry whilst the redness can become more noticeable,” says Marie Therese.

“After a few years, redness often becomes widespread and permanent and it is accompanied with couperosis (dilated blood vessels) on cheeks and the nose. All factors responsible for flushing worsen couperosis. After a while, some patients can develop more complicated symptoms like pimples and sometimes pustules which can greatly alter their quality of life,” says Dr Michele.

For people who have had rosacea for many years there’s can be further complications, “The bulb of the nose can enlarge to up to 7-10 times its normal size, appear redder and bumpy. This swelling is because there is formation of tissue and the sebaceous glands which produce oil on the skin get bigger,” says Marie Therese.

As well as this, “The skin on the forehead, chin, cheeks, or other areas can become thicker because of rosacea,” says Jeanette.

If you think this might be you then it’s vital to visit your GP in order to get a diagnosis. While these symptoms might sound scary, if you do have rosacea there are plenty of ways of managing the condition, central to which is your skincare regime as Laura explains.

“While there is still much to learn about the causes of Rosacea, there are various successful treatment options available to sufferers. These include oral and/or topical medication, IPL (Intense Pulse Light) therapy and laser –all designed to minimise symptoms; however central to the treatment is the use of gentle cosmetics that can help calm and protect the skin.”

So, what are the first steps you can take to keep things calm? First, the don’ts. “Avoid scrub and exfoliation style products as these can heat up and aggravate the skin causing redness to worsen. Do not use hot water when cleansing your face. Lukewarm or cool water is best. Avoid putting your face directly in the flow of shower water as our shower temperature is often hotter than what we should allow on our face. Limit time spent in hot (and very cold!) environments eg direct sunlight, saunas, steam rooms, hot baths/showers as this can exacerbate your redness,” says Laura.

“Avoid over exfoliating and in some severe case avoid exfoliating altogether! Harsh scrubs and acids will only thin the skin even further and cause the broken capillaries to worsen and become redder,” says Clare.

“Some important advice to people with redness and couperosis is to try and avoid all factors responsible for flushing. They also need to hydrate their skin and protect it daily from the sun,” says Dr Michele.

“Sometimes drinking alcohol or eating spicy foods can aggravate,” says Clare.

“We need to avoid water on our skin as much as possible, especially hot water and yes I even mean in the shower. The chemicals in the water make the condition worse and dry out the skin, ever wondered why your skin gets even redder after a shower? If you can start using a non-soap gel cleanser and remove the gel with cotton disks then you are foiling the secret culprit.”

When it comes to the positive steps you can take, there are plenty of skincare options for you to try.

“Wear suncream or a moisturiser with an SPF everyday – even when the sun isn’t shining. UVA rays penetrate deep into the dermis and can cause cells to become more fragile and hence cause the skin to flush red more easily,” says Laura.

Marie Therese recommends, “Using Ginseng and Red Algae Extract will help to reinforce your blood vessels, whilst using a product like Uriage Roséliane Anti-Redness Cream will help fight against Kallikrein 5 Activity, which causes inflammation and vascular problems. Uriage Roséliane Anti-Redness Cream uses its SK5R complex to provide a highly effective soothing action against Kallikrein 5 Activity.”

Jeanette says, “Some of the best know treatments used to alleviate and reduce the symptoms of rosacea are glycolic, salicylic and azeliac acid, retinol and highly concentrated Vitamin C products (check out Image Skincare and Obaji Skincare) and of course, a good sunscreen is a must. Using the correct skincare range and products are vital tools in the treatment of Rosacea.”

“At the same time, many woman need to mask redness and couperosis. The most complete solution is a BB cream like Sensibio AR BB cream: a protective and moisturizing formulation with a creamy texture and a tint to mask redness and a photoprotective action (SPF 30, IP UVA 17)” says Dr Michele.

“Rosacea skin is thin, easily irritated, dry, flaky and may be the shape of a butterfly and cover the cheeks and nose. The environment is out to get your skin too so there needs to be protection! The Juliette Armand Multi- B serum is perfect because it contains B5 and B6 for powerful anti-inflammatory properties and the Hydra Calming  24hr cream goes on top to seal an environmental shield over the skin and reduce blotching,” says Claire.