Stop Doing These 3 Things If You Have Rosacea

Rosacea is a skin condition that causes flushing and blood vessels to become visible on your face. It can also cause inflammation and small, pus-filled bumps to appear. These symptoms usually flare up and go away after some time. 

Rosacea is fairly common, affecting about 16 million people living in the United States – typically women with fair skin. It’s often mistaken for other skin conditions like acne or just natural ruddiness.

At Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street located in Washington, DC, our team of dermatology experts wants you to know that while there’s no cure for rosacea, there are certain things you can do to prevent flare-ups. In this blog, we go more in-depth about rosacea and what might be triggering your rosacea symptoms.

Symptoms of rosacea flare-ups

In addition to visible signs of rosacea like redness, spider veins, blushing, and pimple-like bumps, you may also experience some of the following symptoms:

• Eye irritation
• Burning or stinging around the affected areas
• Dry skin
• Raised red patches of skin (plaques)
• Skin swelling and thickening

You can experience these signs and symptoms of rosacea on your nose, chin, cheeks, forehead, eyes, chest, ears, neck, or scalp.

How to prevent rosacea flare-ups

While the exact cause of rosacea is unknown, research suggests that it’s probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, there are some factors known to make your rosacea worse. 

When you’re exposed to these things, it tends to cause a rosacea flare-up:

• Hot or cold air
• Wind
• Hot drinks
• Spicy foods
• Red wine
• Intense exercise
• Blood pressure medications
• Certain cosmetic products

While you’re probably not going to be able to avoid all these common triggers, these are some things you can do to prevent a flare-up:

• Avoid using harsh, oil-based skin care products
• Avoid direct sunlight and wear sunscreen
• Avoid drinking alcohol

By avoiding these things, you should be able to diminish the amount of flare-ups that you have.

In addition to managing your symptoms on your own, our team can also prescribe medications or different types of creams and gels to combat your rosacea. In addition, you might also benefit from laser therapy. 

If you need more tips on how to manage your rosacea or you’re looking for treatment for your symptoms, contact our team today for more information. You can do this by giving us a call or you can set up an appointment with us by using our online scheduler today.