Controlling Holiday Flares

The festive holiday season is approaching and, although it is a time of joy and celebration, rosacea patients must be extra diligent in avoiding flare-ups during this time of year.

 Here are some tips for getting through the upcoming holidays and keeping rosacea at bay:
Avoid stress. Stress is not only a leading rosacea trigger, but is often at an all-time high during this busy season. Taking good care of yourself -- getting plenty of rest, eating right, avoiding worry or over-committing yourself and maintaining a daily exercise routine -- can go a long way in controlling your condition. When a stressful situation occurs, remember to use deep breathing or other stress-reducing techniques.
Protect yourself from the elements. Wind and cold weather affect many rosacea patients. Wear a hat and scarf that protect your face, and use a sunscreen if you're outdoors.
Keep the kitchen cool. Indoor heat is a common rosacea trigger, especially if the holidays mean extended time cooking. Be sure the kitchen is well ventilated. Keep a cool, damp towel around to pat on your face, sip a cool drink or chew ice chips to avoid flushing. Take a break to a cooler room when possible

Rosacea Skin Facts

*Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that can cause flushing, redness, bumps or pimples, appearance of tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin and excess thickening of the skin.
*About 14 million Americans have rosacea.
*The exact cause of rosacea isn’t known. Some believe a tiny skin mite may be the culprit.
*There is no cure for rosacea but the symptoms can usually be treated. However, the condition is often mistaken for adult acne and patients may not seek help.

Are Rosacea Flares All in Your Head?

Some claim when a person has an emotional conflict like being depressed or anxious, it often spills over to their skin. So they say, when it comes to sick skin, if traditional treatments aren't working, you simply need to put your mind to it.

It can make you very self conscious of the people looking at you if you have red blotches. Consider visiting with a psycho-dermatologist, a new kind of doctor who believes in treating the physical disorder and emotional issues that may make it worse.It's no secret the mind and skin are linked.
Negative changes can cause many common skin reactions such as psoriasis, acne, eczema, rosacea and even warts.

Sun Damage or Rosacea?

A poster presented at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology by Dr. Ronald Marks, professor emeritus at the University of Wales, raised the question of whether subtype 1 (erythematotelangiectatic) rosacea can be distinguished from sun-damaged skin.
Dr. Marks observed that patients with sun-damaged skin often exhibit facial redness and visible blood vessels, which are also symptomatic of subtype 1 rosacea.

"In order to differentiate whether it is rosacea or simply sun damage, it is essential to obtain a patient history," said Dr. Jonathan Wilkin, chairman of the National Rosacea Society Expert Committee on the Classification and Staging of Rosacea. "In cases where the patient spends a substantial amount of time outdoors over many years, such as a landscaper or mail carrier, the facial redness and visible blood vessels may potentially be due to sun damage alone. However, if the patient is indoors much of the day or has a history of repeated flushing, the proper diagnosis is likely to be rosacea."