Rosacea is a chronic, and well-known, skin disorder primarily apparent in the center of the face cheeks, chin, nose, and central forehead and is often characterized by episodes of remissions and flareups.

Rosacea’s symptoms can vary tremendously, but the affected person often looks flushed and red in the center of the face. Rosacea has many causes – from genetics to mites to vascular changes – so, it can be hard to pinpoint why more than 10 million people in the United States suffer from rosacea. Strangely enough, recent scientific discovery has also linked rosacea with hair loss.

Rosacea is quite common. It is often more evident with people that have fair skin, but it can also affect people of Mediterranean, Asian, and African descent. Rosacea occurs in both men and women and can start at any age, but most people start seeing the first prominent signs in their 30s.

Always start a consultation by asking if the client has rosacea. The professional should be aware that rosacea can often be hidden. Some clients’ rosacea may be well controlled because they know what triggers flareups and do a good job controlling symptoms. However, for many, a flareup is never far away and they must use caution when visiting a skin care professional or a dermatologist.

SPOTTING SYMPTOMS

The good news is, there is information on rosacea available online. The National Rosacea Society has an informative website that is an easy reference to understand this highly complex skin condition.

Rosacea can be manifested in various ways within a diverse group of people and can also be linked to lifestyle choices. Because of this, the National Rosacea Society developed a standard classification system that can serve as a diagnostic instrument to investigate the manifestations and relationships of the several subtypes and potential variants of rosacea. Diagnosis should obviously be left to the attending dermatologist, but it is still important for aestheticians to be aware of some of the manifestations and symptoms. They include:

• Flushing in the center of the face
• Persistent redness, even when indoors
• Bumps and pimples
• Visible blood cells
• Raised skin on the nose and cheeks, sometimes accompanied with pustules
• Burning and stinging of the skin
• Dryness in the center of the face and sometimes rough scaling in the affected areas
• Skin thickening and irregular skin surface and swelling of the nose (this mostly occurs with advanced rosacea)
• Facial swelling

Rosacea is not all encompassing. If the client is red, this does not necessarily rule out other potential skin conditions that may not be associated with rosacea. Some people can have an eruption due to the overuse of corticosteroids on their face.

When seeing clients with obvious evidence of rosacea, the best advice for the professional is to treat their skin very gently, avoiding harsh cleansers, harsh scrubs, and low pH acid peels. Nothing highly abrasive should be used in the affected areas and the choice of moisturizers is important. A clean moisturizer with emollience is likely the best choice.

TELL-TALE TRIGGERS

Many people dealing with rosacea do not understand what triggers flareups. According to a national survey, some of the most common triggers are:

• Sun exposure
• Stress
• Hot or cold weather
• Heavy exercise
• Alcohol consumption
• Hot baths
• Spicy foods
• Very hot beverages
• Harsh cosmetics or skin care

The professional can help clients control rosacea flareups by helping them understand the triggers that cause a flareup. However, the professional should also warn that this is a lifelong condition that needs constant attention. Sunscreen and gentle skin care should be a permanent companion for clients suffering from rosacea to help them control their condition.

Reference
1 “Understanding Rosacea.” National Rosacea Society. January 10, 2018.
https://www.rosacea.org/patients/materials/understanding/index.php.

Christiane Waldron is the founder and CEO of Jenetiqa, a professional luxury skin care company focused on providing highly bio-available skin care products that combine scientifically-proven antioxidants with natural botanicals and skin vitamins. Waldron is a chemical engineer by profession and she is the chief scientist for Jenetiqa. She personally hand picks each ingredient in the formula. 

Waldron’s philosophy is to design and formulate multi-tasking products that help address all signs of aging. Jenetiqa is her brain child and she developed a best-selling anti-aging system that is unique in that it provides four treatment products into a simple to use system.