EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ROSACEA

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a common skin condition that affects millions of people worldwide. This chronic inflammatory skin condition primarily affects the face, causing redness, flushing, visible blood vessels, and sometimes small red spots. The most common form is usually on your nose, chin, cheeks and forehead but for some, it can also effect your eyes – leading to blurry vision, irritation and dry, sore eyes. It is more common in women, but men can get it too.

What causes Rosacea?

There’s still so little we know about Rosacea, but it is thought that a variety of factors can contribute to this condition including genetics – so if your parents suffered with Rosacea, the chances are you could too.

But we also believe that environmental triggers can impact on Rosacea too. The weather – including sunlight exposure, and wintry weather too, can all have an affect, along with certain foods, alcohol and even some skincare products. Stress, anxiety, caffeine and strenuous exercise can all bring on a bout. The final possible cause could be a Demodex mite – if that makes you feel uneasy, we should point out that these tiny mites living in your skin are perfectly natural but one study showed that people with Rosacea had a higher number of Demodex mites than people who don’t suffer with the condition.

The 4 Types of Rosacea

Did you know there are four types of Rosacea.

1: Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea – the mildest form and also the most common. Symptoms usually consist of flushing and redness.

2: Papulopustular Rosacea – often referred to as ‘acne rosacea’ due to the puss filled spots it causes on the face. Can also include stinging and soreness.

3: Phymatous Rosacea – often seen on the nose, this version causes inflammation and swelling leading to uneven texture of the skin.

4: Ocular Rosacea: – Affecting the eyes. This version causes dryness, light sensitivity, gritty eyes, and sometimes a burning sensation. It can also run alongside one of the other versions of Rosacea and can damage corneas.

Rosacea Treatments

Unfortunately we still can’t cure rosacea, but what we can do is lesson the symptoms and reduce the redness using cutting edge therapy. Here at Eleni London in Clapham, we offer a a selection of Rosacea treatments. One of our most popular is the Calibrated Pulsed Light Therapy.

Short, safe bursts of light are directed at the skin which is converted to heat, and then destroys the protein in the wall of the blood vessels. This causes the vessels to gradually disappear after treatment. The light energy emanating from our CPL device also heats the collagen fibres in your skin encouraging the production of new collagen and improving blood flow to the affected area.

Light Therapy

Celluma LED Light Therapy is an effective and natural way to generate more collagen in your body.

It uses red and near-infrared wavelengths to safely fight the signs of ageing, improving your body’s ability to create collagen and elastin and helping to minimise the effects of rosacea. Originally developed by NASA, it uses low-level light known as photobiostimulation and works in a similar way to plant photosynthesis.

Tailor your Skin-care

Having a great skin care routine is essential for Rosacea sufferers. Here are our top tips for helping your skin feel more comfortable and boosting your overall skin health.

1: CLEANSE YOUR FACE – Cleanse in the morning and just before bed to remove grime and oil that can irritate your skin. Don’t use soap, but instead choose a cleanser such as our Gentle Cleanse.

2: Moisurise – try our Barrier Repair Moisturiser. A luxurious silky moisturiser with clinically proven peptides to stimulate collagen synthesis and reduce inflammation.

3: SPF – Exposure to sun can cause a Rosacea flare-up, so it;s essential that you include a SPF in your routine. Try our Protect SPF 50 to protect and hydrate your skin.

4: Serum – choose a serum such as our Intensive HA Serum to soothe inflammation. It contains natural hyaluronic acid, which absorbs into your skin quickly to promote an even skin tone.