How to combat winter redness caused by Rosacea
Posted on 11th December 2019
Winter is well and truly underway, which means the kind of cold, windy and wet weather which can play havoc with our skin. If the only rosy cheeks you want to see are on the Christmas Santa decorations you’ve just packed away for another year, here’s our guide to keeping your winter skin glowing with health, without the redness caused by Rosacea.
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a common skin complaint, affecting people of all ages, but it does tend to get more prominent as we age. An inflammatory condition affecting mainly the cheeks, forehead, chin and nose, Rosacea isn’t just responsible for visible redness. It can be quite uncomfortable, too, causing itching and burning, breakouts or pustules. It’s also responsible for what’s known as rhinophyma – visible veins around the nose – as well as thickening of the skin.
What causes Rosacea?
There’s no specific known cause, although the general view is that it’s due to excess sebum production. But we do know that winter conditions– constantly going from plummeting temperatures and cold winds outdoors to the drying effects of central heating indoors – generally make it worse.
If your winter skin is less healthy glow and more ‘flushed’, there are ways to treat Rosacea, mostly based around correcting and controlling your skin’s production of sebum (the natural oil our skin produces) and improving its barrier function. This helps to reduce inflammation, which improves the symptoms and appearance of Rosacea-prone skin.
One of the signs of the redness that is typical of Rosacea is caused by veins and capillaries in the surface of the skin – also known as thread veins.
By using the FDA approved Harmony laser treatment, which targets the veins with IPL (intense pulse light), we can collapse those vessels. Once treated, they are absorbed by the body, which helps to diminish the redness in the face.
This is a very simple treatment, taking just 30 minutes. It is not painful, and any side effects (possible redness and swelling in the treated area) are minimal, last for only 2-3 days, and can be reduced by having Dermalux LED Light Therapy. We recommend a course of 3-6 treatments, depending on the severity of the condition, every 2-3 weeks.
Reducing the inflammation that causes Rosacea
One of the key products we use to achieve this is Rozatrol – the hero product in the ZO Skin Health cosmeceutical skin care range.
How does Rozatrol help?
Used regularly, it helps to repair your skin’s barrier function, and contains antioxidant protection which reduces the inflammation caused by winter temperatures and the dry heat from central heating. It also contains an ultra-mild exfoliator with anti-microbial effects, which helps your skin to regulate production of excess oil.
Rozatrol can be used alone, but if you regularly experience red, sensitive skin, the ZO Skin Health Normalizing System contains the perfect selection of products to tackle it in your daily skincare routine and restore your skin to a healthy state.
As well as Rozatrol, your kit contains a Gentle Foaming Cleanser perfect for sensitised skin, and an Exfoliating Polish to remove dead skin cells and help control oil production. That oil (sebum) production is further tackled with Oil Control Pads, and Daily Power Defense contains antioxidants, helps to repair your skin’s DNA and restores your skin’s natural barrier function.
Are there any other particular treatments for Rosacea?
Specially formulated Hydrafacials, also using Rozatrol as part of the bespoke formula, can really help to improve the appearance of Rosacea-prone skin.
What is Hydrafacial?
Hydrafacial is the ultimate skin detoxifying and deep-cleansing facial, soothing and hydrating the skin to leave it radiant and glowing. This entirely non-invasive treatment is in five stages: lymphatic draining, cleansing and exfoliation, peel, extraction and hydration, and takes about an hour and a half including preparation of your bespoke treatments.
With the addition of Rozatrol, Hydrafacial a great way to reduce the redness caused by Rosacea, with the added benefit that it soothes irritation and inflammation, remove impurities (such as those caused by a build-up of sebum) and helps to normalise oil production.
How many Hydrafacials might I need?
A single treatment often brings immediate, visible results, but for the best results most patients choose a course of treatments over the course of the winter.
At Health & Aesthetics, we also follow up the Hydrafacial with a 20-minute Dermalux LED Light Therapy treatment
How does Dermalux help?
Dermalux uses clinically proven combination of light wavelengths to rejuvenate and repair your skin, helping it heal and reducing the irritation and redness caused by Rosacea.
Blue light (415nm) helps to destroy bacteria and normalise oil production. Red light (633nm) accelerates cell renewal and repair, by triggering production of collagen and elastin. And Near Infrared light (830nm) triggers your skin’s anti-inflammatory processes to soothe redness and irritation and speed up its natural repair processes.
