Rosacea is a skin disease that causes redness, pimples, and red lines on the nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. A rash over the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin often occurs. People sometimes call it "adult acne" because it can cause pimple-like outbreaks. Rosacea can also cause burning and soreness in the eyes and eyelids.

You may control rosacea by avoiding triggers that lead to flare-ups. Foods, beverages, emotional influences, physical exertion, temperature-related activities, weather, drugs, medical conditions, and skincare products all are factors that may trigger rosacea flare-ups. Left untreated, rosacea can get worse. Large, disfiguring bumps on the nose and face and serious eye problems are signs of severe rosacea.

Fair-skinned people between the ages of 30 and 60 are most likely to develop rosacea. Women are more likely to have rosacea, but men usually have more severe symptoms.

What causes rosacea?
The exact cause of rosacea is unknown. One theory is that some people have high inflammation in the body due to stress and eating foods that continue the heat reaction in the body.  Adding to the food allerges a person may suffer from low stomach acid, also known as "leaky gut" in the naturopathic world.  Low stomach acid causes foods that we eat to not be digested properly.  This puts a strain on our cleaning and detoxing organs like the liver.  Another theory is that people with high inflammation have high bacteria in the stomach and in the skin, these bacteria are propogating at a high level because of the persons high inflammation and heat.  Another possible cause is tiny mites that normally live on our skin called the dermodex mite usually found harmoniously living in our scalp and eye brow area seem to over propogate with auto immune deficiencies and high inflammation (heat) in the body.  Lots of theories abound.

What does rosacea look like?  Pimples may result when a flare-up of rosacea heats the skin, causing bacteria to grow. Flare-ups often start when certain triggers cause the blood vessels in the face to dilate, or expand, which causes redness. Common triggers are exercise, hot weather, stress, spicy foods, alcohol, and hot baths. Swings in temperature from hot to cold or cold to hot can also trigger a flare of rosacea.

Some examples of symptoms:  Blood vessels that are easily irritated and dialated, itchy patches on cheeks and chin, itchy eye lids that remain red and flakey all the time, skin that is ruddy or thick on cheeks, chin and nose. An all around rosey appearance.

Some tips for those experiencing redness and irritation:

Don't live with this, go see a naturopath and get a blood test with an inflammation indicator.  Find out how bad your personal issue is, get to the root cause of this level of inflammation in the body.  As Dr. Mercola tells us in his online information, this condition affects the whole body not just your skin.  Your skin is the biggest organ in the body, it is trying to get your attention!  Something is wrong.  After the blood test, the naturopath can put you on a series of anti inflammation herbs and maybe have you change your diet for awhile to help reduce inflammation in the body.  Your own personal triggers might be different than what is outlined in the National Rosacea Society web page. 

In 25 years, rosacea as a skin malady has grown and grown in our fast moving, high stressed American population.  It seems the same ole things are mentioned as triggers but little mention of ways to cope with this condition besides removing foods and reducing your use of hot baths, hot tubs, saunas, warm weather.....there has to be more.  I discovered there is!

Reducing stress and anxiety, in a variety of ways and coping with stressers, changing the diet profoundly helped in my case and using naturopathic herbal and holistic remedies completely changed my body.  I also recommend bowenwork treatments to offer deep relaxation and neuro muscular calming. 

With regard to skin health, I found the calcium bentonite clay facials while living in California thru a chiropractor.  Introduced to these monthly clay facials, my redness and irritation was reduced even before I made any changes to my diet.  Being inspired by my amazing results, I became an esthetician and changed my focus.  I am passionate about helping people with skin disorders.  Who knew!?

What the clay facials do:  Offering this unique clay procedure has proven results  with this redness and irritation.  The clay acts like a pultice and “pulls” the inflammation from the skin.  Calming the redness and vessel dilation, also clearing the pores of dead skin material allows the skin to breathe, baby skin cells to form, and collagen production to be stimulated. The clay kills the bacteria.  No longer red and itchy, irritated and hot, using the clay soap and getting regular clay exfoliating facials did the trick.  I have been virtually symptom free for 12 years. 

If you would like more information, write or call my business line, I would be happy to offer a free consultation.

Joan Barlow, LE