5 Ways to Have Better Skin with Rosacea

I am curious what the best way is to encourage exfoliation or cell turnover on my rosacea? I find that a lot of creams and treatments cause redness on my cheeks but they also get dry and flaky even with a good moisturizer. Hello. I have been told I have mild rosacea. I have used Dermalogica skin resurfacing cleanser, which has lactic acid. Should I stop using this? I am 67.

Rosacea is a sneaky disease.  It can start just as flushing more than usual, and then more frequent flushing, then “pimples”, then really red skin with veins (telangectasias), and then in some, an enlarged nose with a lot of veins.  It progresses slowly over  20-40 years……unless it’s treated.  And there are lots of great treatments now that don’t involve oral antibiotics (although sometimes these are needed).

  1. Stay focused on hypoallergenic. When rosacea is in remission, it’s not as easy to irritate it. But when inflamed, avoid scrubs and acidic cleansers like the one you mentioned above.  Try to keep your skincare products free of chemical irritants like propylene glycol, and fragrances.  If you experiment, try one product in a limited area on your face for at least 1 week before trying another one. That way you’ll know which product it is, if you get irritated.  Our MadisonMD line is formulated to be good for most with sensitive skin.
  2. Be consistent.  Since you are going to have rosacea for many years, don’t stop your medications, even in remission.  Talk to your dermatologist about cutting them back to several times a week, but staying on them will help prevent flares.
  3. Understand flushing/veins.  Your medication will work to prevent more damage from the rosacea, but often it doesn’t return your skin to normal color or take care of veins. The best way to reduce the redness, flushing, and veins is get be treated with a Vbeam or a high quality IPL at a good clinic.
  4. Work with your gut.  Everyone is an individual, but certain foods trigger flares in almost everyone. Red wine, and other alcohols, hot liquids including coffee, etc.  There are many lists on the web.  Avoid your particular food triggers. And there is some early evidence that the higher quality probiotics (think refrigerated) taken daily help with rosacea. Prebiotics may be helpful too.
  5. See a dermatologist.  So many patients try to be web experts on this topic, which wastes time in the long run. We have many topical medications, tips about triggers, can help manage flare ups, and generally get you going on a good skincare regimen.  🙂

I hope this helps,

Dr. Brandith Irwin

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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