What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes constant redness, flushing, visible blood vessels, and sometimes acne-like breakouts on the face. Beyond its discomfort and sensitivity, its appearance on a person’s face can lower their self-esteem and confidence, taking away from their quality of life. For Rosacea Awareness Month, we had a chat with our INLIV Registered Nurse, Nadia Zinchuk, to get more insight on the best ways to manage the condition for a better quality of life.
Causes of Rosacea
Despite how common it is, affecting an estimated two million Canadians, the root cause of rosacea remains unclear. Rosacea may be passed down in families or even be a result of an immune system dysfunction. It’s believed it may also be caused by microscopic skin mites (Demodex), or possibly by an infection, advises Nadia Zinchuk, INLIV Registered Nurse.
How do I know if I have Rosacea?
Symptoms will sometimes appear like acne flare-ups, but they operate very differently. When experiencing rosacea, you may start to notice dry, scaly skin and see inflamed pimple-like pustules, and red lines on the face. It can even cause watery, bloodshot eyes that become sensitive to light. Before making any conclusions on your condition, seek advice from a medical professional for a thorough assessment and proper diagnosis.
How To Manage Rosacea
While rosacea can’t be cured, making necessary lifestyle changes can help relieve discomfort, reduce symptoms, and allow visible improvements of your skin.
Avoid Rosacea triggers. Triggers that cause symptoms to flare up can include:
- Sun exposure
- Hot or cold temperatures
- Wind
- Stress
- Alcohol consumption
- Spicy foods
- Hormonal changes
- Skin and/or hair products
“Rosacea triggers vary from person to person. I recommend keeping a diary of food and drinks consumed, hair and skin products used, stress levels, etc. Keeping this diary may help you identify the triggers causing your flare-ups,” says Nadia.
More Tips For Managing Rosacea
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments may help reduce visible blood vessels and redness. IPL consultations with Nadia are free of charge to help determine if the treatment may help you. One of INLIV’s most effective, non-invasive treatments for rosacea, IPL provides longer-lasting results in a short amount of time. As an added benefit, IPL also helps stimulate collagen and elastin to restore your skin’s natural radiance and tone.
- Choose medical-grade skincare products to avoid irritating your skin. Our medical aesthetics boutique carries many options to manage rosacea within our ZO skin care lines. ZO’s Daily Power Defense serum keeps your skin hydrated and helps it heal naturally. When combined with ZO’s Rozatrol, it fights inflammation and reduces redness, giving you great results. Together, both products work effectively to calm down flushing, redness, and the severity of rosacea.
- Use makeup products that help cover up rosacea without compromising your skin.
- Green-tinted moisturizers can minimize redness as the colour green balances out red tones in our skin.
- Mineral powders help reduce redness and avoid irritating the skin. Our Glo Mineral Makeup line is an excellent choice for helping minimize and conceal redness caused by Rosacea.
- Apply sunscreen. Sunscreen is vital for protecting the skin from harmful UV rays, which can trigger symptoms of rosacea.
- Medication may help. Your medical provider may prescribe medication to treat bumps, pimples, and redness.
Need help finding skincare and makeup products that are right for you? The skincare boutique at INLIV is open to everyone! Stop in for a complimentary consultation with Roxanne Evans, our Medical Aesthetics Coordinator. She’ll assist you in determining products and treatments to treat your skin concerns.
Living with rosacea can be challenging, impacting not just the skin but also confidence and self-esteem. With proper treatment and the right lifestyle strategies, you can feel more comfortable and confident in your skin.
If you’re struggling with rosacea, contact our INLIV medical aesthetics team for a personalized consultation to review the options best suited for you.
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Read Frequently Asked Questions About Rosacea Here.