This irritating chronic skin condition is common but poorly understood. It affects the skin on the face and sometimes the neck and chest in severe cases, causing flushing, redness, sensitivity, rashes, pimples and thread veins. Rosacea affects one in 10 men and women, mostly with fair skin, and unfortunately, the actual cause is not really known. However, there are things that trigger rosacea breakouts, and, although there is no cure, it is possible to control it…
What Triggers Rosacea?
Different people’s rosacea can be triggered by different things, and a vital part of controlling the annoying skin condition is by identifying relevant causes…
Stress – Although it is difficult to simply decide to never stress again (because that’s just not possible), it is important to be aware of what sort of situations make you stressed and try to either avoid them where possible, or have some coping methods to help you deal with them.
Alcohol – Have you heard of wine rash? Some people suffer from it more than others, and in some cases, drinking a lot of alcohol can trigger rosacea.
Hot Baths – Soaking in steaming hot water can aggravate the skin and cause irritations, resulting in an outbreak of rosacea.
Spicy Food – This is an unfortunate one if you’re a sucker for hot curries and chillies. If your skin reacts badly to spicy food, you may need to cut back on your intake or be careful about the times you book a table at an Indian restaurant. For example, you might not want to eat a really spicy meal the night before a wedding!
Caffeine – Excess tea, coffee and caffeinated fizzy drinks can also trigger rosacea, so, again, you need to find your happy medium and maybe cut back on your intake.
Dairy Products – In many cases, rosacea can be triggered by dairy products, especially milk. This is another case of deciding whether to try out non-dairy products, like almond milk or soy milk and coconut cream instead of dairy cream.
So, How Do I Control Rosacea?
The first step you can take to control and minimise outbreaks of rosacea is to identify any triggers that may be contributing to it or causing it. Next, you need to make sure you’re not accidentally aggravating your skin with products that aren’t suitable for your skin type. Many people who have rosacea will also have sensitive skin, which means they should be using products suitable for sensitive skin. Creams, cleansers and scrubs that are too harsh for your skin can cause a reaction. Dr Anita Sturnham recommends patients who suffer from rosacea avoid products containing lactic acid, azelaic acid, AHAs, vitamin C and benzoic acid. Similarly, you should choose good quality makeup that is designed for sensitive skin, and always wash it off before going to bed.
And finally, you can look at other treatments, including homecare products and professional procedures. Sunscreen is extremely important for people with rosacea, but again, some sun protection products can have irritant ingredients in them. Nuriss’s Sensitive Sunscreen Spray is safe, natural and fast-drying. It is a dry oil solution that moisturises and protects the skin against harmful UV rays, but you won’t even notice it on your skin!
Nuriss also offers tailored treatments for rosacea, using Visia skin analysis services, which assess each patient’s condition. From there, your dermatologist will advise you on the best course of treatments to suit your needs, which could include chemical peels or laser therapy. If you are concerned that you might be suffering from rosacea, book a consultation with one of our skin experts in London.
