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Living with Rosacea
by Nikki Willhite
Rosacea is a skin condition that sneaks up on you. One day you
are blushing a lot, and then the next day the blush goes away. Most of the time
you have no idea what is wrong with your skin.
If your face seems red, and sometimes you have what looks like
little pimples on it, you may have rosacea. Rosacea is a skin condition
that is often confused with acne.
Millions of people have rosacea. It almost always occurs after
age 30, and is more likely to affect fair skinned women. The redness is seen
mostly on the face and in the cheek area, but can also be on other parts of the
body.
Rosacea can be embarrassing- especially if you have a breakout.
The redness in your face can also cause you to have to discontinue wearing
colors in the red and pink family, as they tend to accentuate the pink in your
cheeks.
If you don't treat rosacea, it gets worse. It weakens the blood
vessels on the face, so that some of them may become visible. The redness on the
face is caused from dilated vessels that do not return to normal. Hence the
predisposition to rosacea may be indicated by excessive blushing.
The cause of rosacea is unclear. It may be triggered by blushing,
anxiety, or aging blood vessels. Exposure to sun, wind and humidity are also
thought to be triggers.
Anything that affects the dilation of the blood vessels is
suspect, including saunas, hot tubs, hot showers, heavy exercise, alcohol, spicy
food and hot drinks.
Rosacea is harder to treat if it goes unchecked too long. You
should consult a dermatologist if you think you have rosacea. There are several
medications that will help with this condition. There are a couple topical
creams that you can apply in the morning and evening, as well as oral mediation.
As far as the blood vessels, your dermatologist should have
access to a laser that will remove the spider veins on your face. The procedure
is mildly uncomfortable, but is usually done without anesthetic.
There are many levels of rosacea. Some people have a mild case.
With others, it is quite severe. About 50% of the people with rosacea have
problems with itchy and bloodshot eyes, Other people have very dry skin. At
worse, your skin becomes inflamed and excessively ruddy. The nose seems to be
one of the worst problem areas.
The good news with rosacea is that if you treat it properly, and
protect your skin from the sun, you should be able to control it. If you avoid
all the conditions suspected for triggering it, that should stop outbreaks.
There is no cure for rosacea, but it can go into remission and
virtually disappear. Eat healthy, get plenty of zinc, take your medication, and
drink plenty of water. All these things are good for your health, your skin, and
living with rosacea.
About the Author: Nikki Willhite,
mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing
articles on the topic of
frugal living for over a
decade. Visit her at
www.frugalhappyfamilies.com
- where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal
Happy Families- more than just money! |