Facial redness isn’t a symptom to be treated shyly. Rosacea is an inflammatory disease which may have serious consequences for the health and beauty of facial skin.

The cold is upon us and with it many dermatological disorders that appear or worsen with exposure to low temperatures, temperature changes and excessive heating of indoor environments. Among the pathologies that are worsened by the cold, the most frequent is rosacea, a disease linked to an important alteration of facial microcirculation which can determine a persistent inflammatory condition of the skin that mainly affects the central areas of the face, like cheeks, nose and eyelids.

A very common misconception, couperose and rosacea are often confused. It’s true that couperose can represent the initial phase of rosacea, but the latter is a far more serious condition, and if it isn’t treated adequately, in extreme cases it could even be disfiguring.

Rosacea is a condition that must be diagnosed and treated.

Rosacea presents with redness, persistent erythema, pustules, superficial capillaries, and skin dryness. Due to its characteristics, its chronic degenerative course and to the significant psychological implications, it shouldn’t be neglected. Up to 7-8% of the adult Italian population is affected, yet the disease is often underestimated and only 1 in 10 people turn to a doctor for a diagnosis, as most people are convinced that redness is a natural feature of their skin.

Rosacea is a disease and as such it must be diagnosed and treated. Instead of solving the problem at the root, very often people with rosacea try to camouflage skin inflammation with the use of cosmetics that, by containing alcohol or perfume, worsen the inflammation and cause irritation.

How does one treat rosacea?

Nowadays, there are many remedies to improve rosacea, and the most suitable pharmacological treatments should be prescribed. However, it should be remembered that, for people with rosacea, drugs are not completely curative and can only be taken for short periods. What is really required is optimal management of the condition in one’s everyday life. For example, avoid sudden changes in temperature and direct exposure to the sun, heat sources (stove, fireplace, stove) or copious meals, which involve strenuous and unfavorable digestion processes which harm one’s microcirculation.

Therefore, one must be especially careful of one’s diet, avoiding excessively starchy, over-processed foods and alcohol – ironically, all too often people suffering from rosacea are taken for chronic alcoholics because of their facial redness. For this and other reasons, rosacea causes profound emotional stress in those affected by it, negatively influencing the individual’s emotional and social sphere.

In the case of a redness and inflammatory crisis, one should promptly turn to a dermatologist: with rosacea, it is nowadays certainly possible to prevent its deterioration by checking one’s habits, by targeted cosmetic treatment and using the most suitable cycles of drug therapy .

Article of  Dr Adele Sparavigna for https://4me.styl