Even skin tone is a hallmark of youth, and anything that interrupts the smooth spread of color can make your face look older. Rosacea is a common skin condition that anyone can develop, though it seems to favor fair-skinned women in their 40s and beyond, people at an age where other signs of aging are taking hold.
A cyclic condition, rosacea tends to flare and fade, giving your face a flushed appearance when active, typically across the cheeks and nose, though it can affect your eyes too. While it can’t be cured, treatment can minimize the impact of rosacea, and an important part of successful care includes recognizing and avoiding certain triggers that can start a new outbreak cycle.
When rosacea leaves behind permanent reminders, it’s time to visit Bayview General Medicine to explore treatment options. Dr. Richard Blanchar and our team feature several approaches for rosacea and other skin conditions to restore and rejuvenate your face to a more youthful state.
Medical science suspects that genetics combine with environmental factors to cause rosacea, but its exact origins aren’t known. Some people who have one or more of the common risk factors for the disease don’t develop the characteristic red, blotchy skin, while others do. Though they are no guarantee you’ll develop rosacea, these risk factors include:
Your skin care regimen and hygiene habits probably don’t factor into rosacea, unless cosmetics and other products that contact your skin serve as triggers.
Any condition that stimulates blood flow to the face can trigger an active rosacea cycle. Many people blush or become rosy-cheeked under these conditions, but for a rosacea sufferer, these start an extended period of redness that can last for months, while showing symptoms like tiny burst blood vessels, red bumps that resemble acne, and less often can affect the eyes and eyelids. Rosacea can cause thickening skin on the nose, giving it a bulbous appearance, but this symptom is more common in men.
Though there are many potential triggers for rosacea, these are 5 of the most common.
Alcohol tends to cause flushing, as it naturally dilates blood vessels. Red wine is particularly notorious. Hot foods and drinks can cause a similar effect, along with hot, spicy foods.
Both hot and cold weather can cause cheeks to flush, but other conditions like humidity, sun exposure, and dry winds can also serve as rosacea triggers.
Being “red-faced” is synonymous with embarrassment, but anxiety, laughter, and stress can cause facial flushing too. Some people get red with anger or frustration, and any of these could start a rosacea outbreak.
Saunas and steam baths dilate blood vessels, prime conditions for causing rosacea flare-ups. Heavy exertion, whether it’s work or exercise, can also be an issue.
Menopause can be a factor, and people with conditions that cause a chronic cough may also note that it triggers rosacea. Topical steroid medications, certain drugs for blood pressure, and some opiate painkillers are known as rosacea triggers.
Determining your triggers is part of successful management of rosacea, but Dr. Blanchar can help reduce the long-lasting effects of skin redness. Ask about Icon® laser, Glytone®, and HydraFacial® MD treatments when you contact Bayview General Medicine, by phone or online, to arrange a consultation to investigate your rosacea. Book your appointment now.
