How Can I Tell If I Have Rosacea? Part I
As you now know, we’re taking questions and concerns from you and to addressing them.
We’re tackling a very important question Vivian had, and we hope that it will help you too.
Keep reading…
Hi Derma Divas;
I have noticing that I’m starting to get more and more broken capillaries. They started to almost look like spider veins. Is this rosacea?
Thank you!
Vivian Wu
Hi Vivian;
These symptoms could potentially be the beginning of rosacea, or they could also simply be a sign of sensitive skin.
Skin that has been exposed to a lot of radiation (from light and sun) can contribute to these capillaries showing.
Professionals refer to these capillaries as ‘telangiectasias’ (pronounced: ti-lan-jik-tay-zee-as).
As the skin thins out with age (and due to the constant sun exposure), these capillaries become more and more visible, as well as more exposed to environmental stress, such as pollution and radiation.
The walls of the capillaries are very fragile and can break very easily.
You definitely want to avoid using scrubs and be sure to use a broad spectrum sun block above everything else.
If and when the redness becomes persistent (particularly on the cheeks, nose and chin), then you’re probably dealing with the first signs of rosacea.
This is the key difference.
Rosacea is a chronic ailment with periods of activity (or what is more familiarly called ‘flare ups’) mixed with periods of non-activity.
Although it is not known what causes rosacea, it is typically believed to be hereditary and will gradually worsen over time if not recognized and treated early enough.
It is definitely long-term. It doesn’t ever ‘go away’…but it can improve!
So, what exactly causes the redness?…
The redness is caused by the capillaries under the skin and typically looks like a sunburn.
This reddening and flushing of the skin can appear also in between the brows and forehead.
Through continuous and repeated dilating or flushing, the walls of the capillaries begin to become weaker and lose their ability to contract, therefore remaining dilated.
By staying dilated, they become more and more noticeable.
What are things that affect or trigger your rosacea?
Well, perhaps you’ve heard that there are certain foods/beverages that can worsen this condition.
This is due to the fact that they cause the skin to flush.
Here are some of the no-no’s:
- Hot beverages (coffee, tea, soup, etc.)
- Alcohol
- Spicy foods such as salsa, chilli pepper, and so on…
- Some sufferers are sensitive to citrus fruits, soy and pizza.
- Food that either contain histamine or causes the body to release histamineb (an inflammatory) such as:
- tomatoes, spinach, cheese, yoghurt, chocolate…
- Liver (due to its richness in the B vitamin Niacin).
- Yeast extract (bread is okay)
- Vinegar
- Eggplant
- Avocados
- Broad-leaf beans and pods, including lima, navy or pea.
Can the weather affect your skin as well?
Definitely!
Sun exposure, hot weather, cold weather (any extreme temperatures), wind (that causes chapped, dry skin) are all rosacea triggers.
We would recommend staying indoors as much as possible on more humid days and ALWAYS (and you know we mean always!) wear sunblock (and a hat!)
If you live in a colder climate, be sure to protect your face during the winter months with a good, soothing moisturizer and a scarf or skin mask to avoid wind burn.
Have you noticed pimples or acne with your redness?
Well, as the redness continues, it can be accompanied by small pimples, which are referred to as ‘acne rosacea’ because of their resemblance to teenage acne.
These pimples are caused by microscopic mite called ‘Dermodex folliculorum’.
Typically natural to the skin in small quantities, this mite is significantly more numerous in rosacea sufferers.
The mite provokes rosacea by clogging the skin follicles, which in turn trigger inflammatory and allergic reactions in the skin.
Stay tuned for part two of this important topic to learn more about rosacea and things to do and to avoid doing…
…until then…
Let us know if this helped you so far!
Be sure to submit your comment below…You know we love to hear from you!
To your skin’s health,
The Derma Divas.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:55 am
I have been trying to figure out what i’ve got, and i think this could be the ticket. I don’t want to go to a doctor until i do some research myself, i don’t have money hanging around to give doctors so if its not serious i won’t go. thanks for giving me a place to start. nice post.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Hi Matt;
We’re so happy this post has helped you so far! There is still another part to come, so stay tuned…
As always, we encourage you to write us directly with any specific questions you may have.
You can send them to: questions@myfacialfacts.com
What helps you could potentially help a lot of others as well!
Thanks again for stopping by…
To your skin’s health!
The Derma Divas.
January 28th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Does this redness happen around the nose? I have some horrid blotches around the nose that are red all the time.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Hello Ann and thanks for writing;
Yes! One of the main areas this redness happens is on and around nose as well. HOWEVER, I have to ask: is it also irritated and maybe flaky around your nose as well? If so, it could be that when you wash your face, you’re not rinsing the cleanser off thoroughly or drying the skin around the nose sufficiently. Any type of soap/cleanser residue and/or water left on the skin can cause it to look very red and become irritated.
The main indicator would be if you see little broken capillaries around this area or not. If you do have broken capillaries, then it’s either sensitive or even potentially rosacea skin as well, as mentioned in the blog post.
If you have any other questions, you know where to find us!
Derma Diva Marcy.
The Derma Divass last blog post..How Can I Tell If I Have Rosacea? Part II
July 14th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I think I may have rosacea.
I’m a light-skinned, Hispanic male, about to turn 21 years old.
I live in rural south Texas… extremely hot.
Here’s why:
1. I get red easily! laughing, smiling, exercise, coughing, just thinking I may get red results in redness…
2. Since January of this year the area around my nose… nostrils in particular, have been constantly red. My nostrils are always red now. always. It started with some flaky skin and got really irritated, this feeling that I had to scratch it to alleviate irritation… I no longer have that irritation, but it’s always red now. I feel that’s the first thing people see upon seeing me. My red nostrils.
3. I’m a contact user… and rarely take them out. I’ve noticed recently that my eyes are red. It appears as if my veins are spreading towards the eye from the sides.
4. I have oily skin. When I got my contacts the dr. told me that I could have problems with the contacts because my eyes produced a lot of oil.
5. A while back the area under and above my lips had like this dry skin thing going on. I no longer have that dry skin.
I don’t know if I just may have sensitive skin and making a connection where this is none.
Am I seeing something that’s not there or is it possible I may have rosacea?
thanks,
MB
July 21st, 2009 at 3:26 am
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Online Geld Verdienens last blog post..THIS SCRIPT IS NO LONGER SERVING DATA. UPDATE YOUR PLUGIN
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Came across your blog in Bing
April 8th, 2010 at 6:30 am
Your skin is the most important, please take very good care of it!
What can I do if I have really oily skin? I tried everything already.
April 22nd, 2010 at 8:21 am
I just want to make some sweet money from home.initially i thought that it will be easy but now i have realized that its not that easy to make money online.specially if you are not that great with your focus and hard work.I am not an guru but i have observed very knowledgeable bloggers.And i am also and student of work from home.just keep it up it will work for all of us for sure.Thank you for this beautiful post.
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
Thank you Dennis for your encouragement!
The Derma Divas
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:52 am
Michael;
We are not sure how we missed your comment from almost a year ago. We apologize because you did have a skin concern we did not address in a timely fashion.
It does sound like rosacea may be the issue. Does it run in your family? The cause for rosacea is not known, but they have been able to note that it is typically hereditary.
We may have some products that may help you, which address the mite responsible for the flareups and redness. In the meantime, we encourage you to:
1. Avoid extreme temperatures (we know this may be hard in the summertime in Texas, so do the best you can!) Never use saunas, steam rooms, or shower with extremely hot water.
2. Avoid spicy foods.
3. Do not use any type of scrub. These are too harsh for your skin and can cause more capillary damage as well as stimulate too much circulation, which you want to avoid.
Instead, gently exfoliate with an enzyme exfoliating mask. Exfoliating masks are applied and left on the skin for 10-15 minutes and no rubbing in is necessary. Anything with papaya enzyme would be perfect!
4. Use skin care products with pure ingredients. Organic lines will be good for you. The simpler the list of ingredients in a product, the better.
5. Ingredients that will benefit you are: Bisabolol, chamomile, green tea, azulene, aloe (make sure it has no alcohol) and licorice root to name a few basics.
6. Avoid heavy and emollient feeling moisturizers. Oil free hydrators or serums will be much more beneficial for you.
7. Keeping some products in the refrigerator will have a cooling effect and help constrict blood vessels. However, keep in mind that products and temperatures that are too cold will be no-no’s as well.
8. After washing your face or showering, DO NOT dry your facial skin with a towel! Instead, use paper towels and PAT skin dry. Remember: the less rubbing (rubbing and massaging causes an increase in microcirculation), the better. This includes NEVER using a washcloth or buff puff to wash your face.
Let us make a note to everyone: NO ONE should ever use a buff puff on their face!
9. Lastly, make sure you use a good sunblock EVERY SINGLE DAY, rain or shine. This means even when it’s cloudy out and it doesn’t look like the sun will do any damage. For oily skin like yours, we like dry mineral sunblocks such as Eminence’s Sun Defense Minerals. Just choose one that is closest to your skin color.
There are many out there, so feel free to look around. Just make sure the active ingredients are either Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide with an 8% concentration or higher (11 or 12% would be ideal). Remember to include your eyes, ears, front and back of neck and chest as well.
Voila! With these small changes, you should definitely notice a difference and improvement in your skin.
We hope this helps!
To your skin’s health,
The Derma Divas.
We encourage everyone to write us directly with any questions to thedermadivas@gmail.com if you’d like us to answer your skin care concerns.