Dealing with Rosacea

Some people think rosacea is no big deal, but many who have it think quite differently. Having the condition tends to incite a kind of war between a person and his or her skin. And it can be downright embarrassing when you want to look your best and you have great big red blotches or what appears to be acne on your face. So how do you deal with it?

One way of reducing rosacea is to identify what makes it especially apparent in your skin. There are many different things that trigger it in people and it is often a lot easier to avoid the causes than treat the condition. Some examples of things that cause rosacea are sun exposure, high temperatures and/or heat in general, alcohol, and smoking. These things are all fairly straightforward and all you would need to do to avoid all these triggers is to wear sunblock, stay out of the sun and heat as much as possible, and restrict your use of alcohol and cigarettes.

Another thing those affected by rosacea can do is to see a dermatologist and get recommendations for skin products that are gentle enough for their sensitive skin. These can include anything from topical medications, to sunblocks, to makeup. Avoid products with ingredients that will irritate your skin. Some people who have rosacea and think it is acne and needs to be treated roughly will get alcohol pads with acne medication in them or try home microdermabrasion kits and make the problem so much worse than it has to be. Remember to be gentle with your skin and you will find that it will not react as badly as it did before to what you do to it. Do not scrub hard at your skin with a washcloth, for example.

Another thing you can do is to try homemade facial treatments. Sometimes they will be gentler than what you find at the store. But be aware that they can still cause flare-ups. Some may find that their skin can take more than others who have rosacea. Perhaps you can make a mask of dry milk and water and spread it on your face as a gentle exfoliant. But that might not work for others with your condition. Try to do patch tests on other parts of your body that have the condition but that will not be as irritated if they flare up before trying anything on, say, your face. Eventually, you will find what works for you. Just give it time.