What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic inflammation in the skin and there is no known cause that makes you get it. It is often seen in people from the ages of 30 to 50 and it is reckoned that five per cent of the population in this age group have rosacea. However, some people in their 60s and 70s also have it. Rosacea occurs especially in people with sensitive skin. The symptoms are redness in the face, accompanied by a stinging and prickling sensation in the skin. The skin on the cheeks, forehead and nose appears thicker than the rest of the skin on the face, and small dilated blood vessels develop. In addition, spots and pimples are also a part of the disorder. However, there are no blackheads as you would find with acne.

Development of the skin disorder
Rosacea begins with redness in the central part of the face. This is due to the blood vessels dilating close to the surface of the skin. The condition then develops additional, small visible blood vessels on the nose and cheeks while the skin can be irritating with prickly and stinging sensations. Later on, the skin will have a condition similar to acne because small infections will appear on the skin. Some people with rosacea also develop irritation around the eyes and even inflammation in the eyes. In a few cases, rosacea can lead to the sebaceous glands on the nose becoming bigger, which makes the nose bigger.

Aggravating factors
There are various factors that come into play in relation to the development of rosacea. Some aggravating factors are:

• Time spent in sunlight
• Hot food and beverages
• Strong spices
• Alcohol
• Stress
• Infections
• Temperature fluctuations
• Long-term use of facial creams containing cortisone

For example, as a result of spending time in the sun or consuming hot food, the redness and swelling can become worse.
Alcohol also often makes the redness worse, but it is not the cause of rosacea as many people think. One of the aggravating factors that is critical is temperature fluctuations. The change from cold to heat, and the reverse, makes the skin sensitive, which worsens the symptoms severely.

Treatment of rosacea
The actual treatment of rosacea is important mainly because many people feel that their self-worth is affected and that it has an impact on their contact with other people. First and foremost, it is important that people with rosacea cleanse their skin both morning and evening. It must be done carefully, as the skin is often very sensitive. The skincare products that need to be used must enhance the barrier in the skin so it is not as sensitive as it usually would be. Learn more about rosacea and its treatment in the video.