01.03.08

Jojoba Oil and Rosacea Treatment

Posted in Rosacea at 3:49 pm

Prior to beginning any new rosacea treatment, one needs to prepare the rosacea sensitive skin, and allow the skin to heal from the effects of previous aggressive rosacea treatments, which may have left the skin damaged or overly sensitive. Many rosacea treatments leave the rosacea sufferer’s skin so sensitive that “even water hurts their rosacea affected skin”.

The importance of jojoba oil in the treatment of rosacea comes from its similarity to the natural restorative oil produced by the sebaceous glands in the dermal layers of the skin. Jojoba oil is non-allergenic and will not clog the pores.

Jojoba oil will help reverse damage to the epidermis caused by harsh soaps, facial washes, and topical rosacea medications. Jojoba oil also helps replace moisture lost from the use of facial peels, chemical treatments, laser and light treatments. It is beneficial in enhancing skin healing (cell division and growth) within the middle layer of the epidermis. Jojoba Oil helps balance sebum excretion (related to acne) and helps normalize keratin sloughing off from the dermis (related to acne).

When choosing a rosacea treatment regimen, jojoba oil is a natural and beneficial companion to successful control of a difficult skin condition.

12.06.07

The Enigma of Rosacea

Posted in Rosacea at 4:29 pm

The wide range of rosacea treatments have often resulted in little improvement and may even cause a worsening of rosacea symptoms. Many dermatologists are baffled by rosacea and the treatment of rosacea. Others call rosacea an enigma, while some say rosacea is one of the least understood skin disorders.

Antibiotics, steroids and lasers have been a mainstay of treatment for many years. Many prescribed rosacea treatments such as steroids, retinoids, and Accutane™ do not work and, in fact, some of these treatments may cause additional damage to the skin. Oral and topical antibiotic treatments for acne rosacea can work for up to several months before the bacteria become immune to the antibiotic, causing the antibiotic to lose its effectiveness.

It is important to treat rosacea in as many ways as possible: those who modify their lifestyles, eating habits and reduce their level of stress often experience a much greater degree of rosacea clearing. While you try to treat the symptoms of rosacea that are most visible and distressing, you should also try to treat the rosacea cause! If we find and treat the cause of rosacea, then maybe all the symptoms of rosacea need not occur!

11.19.07

Symptoms Similar to Rosacea

Posted in Rosacea at 3:57 pm

The many symptoms that mimic rosacea and the many skin conditions with symptoms similar to rosacea can make the diagnosis of rosacea difficult. Medications used in the treatment of acne can be too harsh or aggressive leading to the onset of rosacea or acne rosacea. Aggressive acne treatments to reduce oiliness of the skin can result in the flaking associated with seborrheic dermatitis. The butterfly rash of lupus can also lead to a mis-diagnosis of rosacea. Learning the difference between the symptoms of rosacea, eczema, acne, lupus and psoriasis is necessary to understanding your skin condition. It is possible for these skin conditions to co-exist making successful rosacea treatment a very difficult endeavor. Treating rosacea or other skin conditions need not involve an endless round of laser treatments and antibiotics, it can be as simple as modifying your lifestyle to include positive rosacea health and skin care habits. The treatment of rosacea or any skin condition must involve treatment of the whole body.

11.13.07

Mineral Makeups for Rosacea

Posted in Rosacea at 4:24 pm

Mineral makeups, although slightly more expensive, offer an excellent alternative to rosacea sufferers. Mineral makeup is as pure as it gets — void of talc, chemical additives, fragrance, fillers, preservatives and dyes, it’s an excellent choice for rosacea skin care. Growing from a need for cosmetics gentle enough to use on skin after chemical peels or resurfacing treatments, mineral makeup is made from finely crushed, high pigment minerals. It has virtually no allergy risk and will not clog pores or irritate sensitivities. And because minerals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are used as the base, these cosmetics are loaded with natural UV protection. “The beauty of mineral makeup is that it can be used by all ages and all skin types,” explains Kathy Krakora. The light-reflective properties of the mineral powders actually draw attention away from fine lines. Zinc oxide, one of the base minerals, is anti-inflammatory, which means it calms the skin down. So it’s perfect for people with blemishes, rosacea, oily skin, dry skin or for immediate post-treatment use.” And because it is talc-free, mineral makeup actually holds in moisture, keeping skin hydrated and averting wrinkles. A little goes a long way. All makeup is not created equally and because mineral makeup is in such a pure form, there’s no need to use as much of it as regular makeup. “Three words,” Krakora says, “Less is more.”

11.02.07

Rosacea and Diet

Posted in Rosacea at 4:23 pm

Rosacea results from an overly acidic body and skin, which can be caused by a number of factors including physical activity, stress, environment, and perhaps most importantly, diet. Some types of food and drinks, such as meat, cheese, alcohol, and stimulants like coffee and cigarettes, form acids when processed by the body. Other foods, primarily fruits and vegetables, are alkaline-forming, which helps to neutralize acids. By following a healthy diet rich in alkaline-forming foods, you can balance your body and reduce your rosacea symptoms while improving your overall health.

The rosacea diet page at the Rosacea-Ltd web site will help you select alkaline-forming foods. You don’t have to avoid acid-forming foods entirely; just be sure to balance the acids with alkaline.  And be sure to drink plenty of water!  Water is pH neutral, and is essential for the body to function.  Though your sense of thirst decreases with age, remember to drink at least eight glasses of water every day for your health.

10.09.07

Steroids and Rosacea

Posted in Rosacea at 1:22 pm

Sometimes the wrong medical help is worse than no help in the treatment of
eczema, psoriasis, etc. as the “cure” is worse than the disease; or in essence
the supposed ‘cure’ only aggravates the existing conditions of eczema and
psoriasis but compounds them with the addition of a red irritated facial
condition of rosacea.

In treating eczema or psoriasis of the facial skin by use of a steroid, the
dermatologist needs to limit the use to a maximum of seven days or the least
amount to treat the problem. Prolonged use thins the skin, and results in a skin
that is trying to be of a normal texture and function, however, the steroids
are removing the skin with a soft sedative effect that seems to be
‘intoxicatingly smooth’ as the term “atrophy” denotes. Atrophy is the
breakdown, wasting, and dying of the skin area due to poor circulation, and
poor cell nourishment. The treatment of eczema, psoriasis or rosacea by
steroids should be avoided.

Any skin condition can be changed by ‘fixing the cause’ or ‘etiology.’ However, when a rosacea patient is treated by steroids, the result is an aggravated rosacea condition with many return trips for rosacea treatment and a gradual slow down or tapering of the steroids to solve the more severe rosacea skin symptoms. One of the rosacea symptoms to be treated after the misuse of steroids is an increase in telangiectases. While the steroid treatment for rosacea is ’soothing’ the result is steroid rosacea as the skin begins malfunctioning and can not repair itself due to atrophy with the result that the steroid must be stopped. By now, the skin has become disfigured and most uncomfortable due to steroid rosacea. The abatement of treatment for steroid induced rosacea as a skin dependence is most severe and is called “steroid withdrawal”.

09.24.07

History of Rosacea

Posted in Rosacea at 4:16 pm

The French surgeon, Dr. Guy de Chauliac, in the 14th century, was the first person known to describe rosacea medically as a skin condition. Dr. de Chauliac talked about “red lesions in the face, particularly on the nose and cheeks.” He called the condition “goutterose” (French for “pink droplet”) or “couperose” (now a common French term for rosacea). Others referred to rosacea as “gutta rosa” (the Latin version of “goutterose”) or “pustule de vin” (French for “pimples of wine”).

References to rosacea were also known in early literature. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Shakespeare’s Henry V include descriptions of men with red faces and enlarged noses. Artists through the centuries also have depicted rosacea in paintings of red faces and bulbous red noses. A painting in the Louvre, “The Old Man and His Grandson” by Ghirlandiao around the year 1480, is a well-known example.

Referenced from: de Bersaques, J: Historical Notes on Rosacea. European Journal of Dermatology. 1995;5:16-22.

09.10.07

Rosacea Treatment and Skin Care

Posted in Rosacea at 2:11 pm

Prior to beginning any new rosacea treatment, one needs to prepare the skin, and allow the skin to heal from the effects of previous treatments, which may have left the skin damaged or overly sensitive. We often hear people tell us that the rosacea treatments they had been using left their skin so sensitive that “even water hurts their skin” which can be very true. If one then uses a harsh acidic or invading rosacea treatment such as laser, skin rejuvenation or anti-wrinkle treatment, or retinoids, then obviously the rosacea sufferer is going further down the wrong rosacea treatment pathway.

So many times rosacea or the worsening of rosacea from a mild stage to a more severe stage is the result of treatments that we have used in the past or are currently using. Use of acne treatments containing ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide cause increased redness to the facial skin; often we overuse these products because we feel they are not working. For instance you have more pimples so you use more of the acne treatment. When you do this, the skin reacts by trying to form a barrier of more oil to protect itself from the harmful effects of the offending treatment. So you tend to use more to counteract this effect and in doing so the pores tighten and close resulting in clogged pores, pimples and papules.

On the Rosacea-Ltd application page, we recommend using the Cetaphil gentle cleansing bar for dry sensitive skin and jojoba oil. Deodorant soaps, and body soaps contain ingredients that cause skin irritation on the more sensitive facial skin and result in increased redness.

Many of the moisturizers today contain ‘special anti-wrinkle’ ingredients. These special ingredients are Citric acid, Alpha-Hydroxy acid or Beta-Hydroxy acids. The purpose of these ingredients is to exfoliate or peel off the upper layer of the skin thereby giving a smoother appearance. The chemical used must be harsh enough to burn off, kill or destroy the top layer of skin. This burning will cause more redness and increased skin sensitivity and irritation.

09.07.07

How Alkaline is your Water?

Posted in Rosacea at 4:01 pm

As people grow older they may feel a reduced sense of thirst, but the need for alkaline water is just as great (especially for rosacea sufferers, as the skin is the first casualty of long-term dehydration). The average person should drink at least ten glasses of water per day (more if you are a larger person, living in a dry environment, suffering from rosacea or other skin disease, or doing something taxing). Alkaline water helps to neutralize acids that are produced by the body as well as acids ingested as food or beverage. The higher the alkalinity (pH) of the water the better, and a pH of at least 7.2 is ideal.

Unfortunately, many bottled waters are acidic because it prolongs the shelf life of the product. The pH level of bottled waters can be found at the mineralwaters.org international listing. Additionally, the Rosacea-Ltd web site has some suggestions for increasing the pH of your drinking water.

09.05.07

Health in History: Presidents of the United States

Posted in Rosacea at 2:12 pm

While we all are familar with former U.S. President Bill Clinton having rosacea and probably receiving the best treatment that modern health science could provide with conventional medicine, the following article will make you think of how effective medicine has been during the last 31 presidents versus the first 31 presidents and likewise the first 5 presidents versus the last 5 presidents. So you might come to a conclusion about ‘medical treatment, foods and drinks’ available 200 years ago versus ‘medical treatment, foods and drinks’ available today and realize we may be going backwards?

Please see: Longevity of U.S. Presidents