Download Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of the face. You may mistake some of its
characteristics — small, red, pus-filled bumps or pustules — for acne. In fact, rosacea has been called adult
acne or acne rosacea. Even though some people with rosacea had acne as teenagers, the disorder has little
to do with the pimples and blackheads that commonly afflict teenagers. The cause of rosacea remains
unknown.
Rosacea affects mostly adults, usually people with fair skin, between the ages of 30 and 60. About 14 million
Americans have this skin condition. Although it's more common in women, men may develop more apparent
signs of the disorder. It's not life-threatening, but it can affect your appearance and self-esteem.
Left untreated, rosacea tends to be progressive, which means it gets worse over time. However, in most
people rosacea is cyclic, which means it may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then signs and
symptoms lessen for a while before rosacea flares up again. Besides acne, rosacea can also be mistaken
for other skin problems, such as skin allergy or eczema. Once diagnosed, it's quite treatable.
Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of rosacea include:
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Red areas on your face
Small, red bumps or pustules on your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin (not the same as
whiteheads or blackheads)
Red, bulbous nose (rhinophyma)
Visible small blood vessels on your nose and cheeks
Burning or gritty sensation in your eyes (ocular rosacea)
Tendency to flush or blush easily
Rosacea usually appears in phases:
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Pre-rosacea. Rosacea may begin as a simple tendency to flush or blush easily, then progress to
a persistent redness in the central portion of your face, particularly your nose. This redness results
from the dilation of blood vessels close to your skin's surface. This phase may sometimes be referred
to as pre-rosacea.
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Vascular rosacea. As signs and symptoms worsen, vascular rosacea may develop — small
blood vessels on your nose and cheeks swell and become visible (telangiectasia). Your skin may
become overly sensitive. Rosacea may also be accompanied by oily skin and dandruff.
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Inflammatory rosacea. Small, red bumps or pustules may appear and persist, spreading across
your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. This is sometimes known as inflammatory rosacea.
Risk factors
Although the exact cause of rosacea remains a mystery, a number of factors can aggravate it or make it
worse by increasing blood flow to the surface of your skin. Some of these include:
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Hot foods or beverages
Spicy foods
Alcohol
Temperature extremes
Sunlight
Stress, anger or embarrassment
Strenuous exercise
Hot baths, saunas
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Corticosteroids
Drugs that dilate blood vessels, such as some blood pressure medications
Self-care
In addition to getting treatment from your doctor, you can play an active part in your treatment. One of the
most important things you can do if you have rosacea is to minimize your exposure to anything that causes
a flare-up. Because everyone is different, find out what factors affect you so that you can avoid them.
Keeping a running list of your own flare-up triggers might help you identify the things that are a problem for
you.
Here are other suggestions for preventing flare-ups:
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Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher to protect your face from the
sun.
Protect your face in the winter with a scarf or ski mask.
Avoid irritating your facial skin by rubbing or touching it too much.
Avoid facial products that contain alcohol or other skin irritants.
When using moisturizer with a topical medication, apply the moisturizer after the medication has
dried.
Use products that are labeled noncomedogenic. These won't clog your oil and sweat gland
openings (pores) as much.
Avoid overheating.
If you wear makeup, consider using green- or yellow-tinted pre-foundation creams and powders,
because they're designed to counter skin redness.
Avoid alcohol.
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WHAT TO USE FOR SKIN CARE…
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creamy cleanser
hydrating freshner
day solution
Timewise moisturizer (with sunscreen)
Any of our foundations work well, but I find the mineral foundation does
the best job hiding the redness
** Customers with rosacea NEED to avoid ALCOHOL and EXFOLIANT!! They
NEED to wear a sunscreen daily which will prevent flare ups