Rose petals, copper rose or facial rose - rosacea has no shortage of nicknames. Those affected probably don't see it as rosy. Rather, it is more like one of the older names puts it: "Curse of the Celts". The pink "blooming" could easily be dispensed with, because rosacea is a skin disease that affects the face. It is no wonder that patients feel that their quality of life is severely limited by the burden of the disease. Due to its striking symptoms, the skin disease literally gets under the skin. For years, rosacea has been battling with erroneous prejudices that do not necessarily make the lives of those affected any easier. In order to finally clear these out of the way, I would like to explain to you where the disease really comes from and what you can do to feel more comfortable in your own skin.
- What exactly is rosacea?
- Recognizing Rosacea correctly
- Signs of the disease: How do I know if I have rosacea?
- Pure formality: stages and severity of rosacea
- Origin and causes of rosacea
- Myth Check Rosacea
- Provocation factors – What are typical triggers for rosacea?
- Optimally adapted: Tailor-made Rosacea treatment plan
- Which care helps with rosacea? Your new care routine
- How do I treat rosacea? Vitamin bombs for everyday life
1. What exactly is rosacea?
Rosacea is an inflammatory, chronic skin disease. It usually appears between the ages of 30 and 60. However, younger people are often affected by an early stage. While the disease occurs more frequently in women, it is more severe in men. In the northern countries of Europe, home of the fair-skinned, red-haired Celtic skin type, rosacea is much more common than in the south. It begins with a tendency to blush slightly and can progress to permanent discoloration of the face. The redness is accompanied by small nodules or pustules and even extreme tissue changes.
2. Recognize rosacea correctly
Not every red spot on the face necessarily means that you suffer from rosacea.
Even in people with healthy skin, red spots on the face are a normal and natural reaction of the body to certain stimuli. Sport, exposure to sunlight and certain feelings such as shame, anger or nervousness increase blood pressure. The small blood vessels expand and the blood flow in the face increases. The increased blood flow to the skin is clearly visible on the face - redness occurs. Unfortunately, this blushing cannot be prevented with sheer willpower, because it is subject to our autonomic nervous system, which cannot be tricked by the brain. However, there is a fine line between blushing in embarrassing situations and recurring stress spots. If the spots become more and more severe or ultimately do not go away at all, it eventually becomes a psychological burden. But how can you distinguish normal blushing from the pathological redness of rosacea?
Rosacea is often confused with other skin diseases. To the layman, it sometimes looks like acne. Acne is characterized by irritated skin covered with pimples and blackheads. While rosacea usually only occurs on the face, acne can also appear on the neck, neck and buttocks, as well as on the upper arms and shoulders. Acne has a hormonal background and is promoted by a number of factors. These include overactive sebaceous glands, keratinization disorders at the sebaceous gland outlet, bacterial colonization and inflammatory reactions. In contrast to rosacea, it occurs most frequently in teenage years.
At first glance, cutaneous lupus also looks very similar - a butterfly-shaped redness across both cheeks and nose. Unlike rosacea, however, cutaneous lupus occurs in phases and is exacerbated by exposure to sunlight. It is also an autoimmune disease and can be diagnosed based on certain blood values.
Perioral dermatitis is very similar to rosacea in its appearance. However, it is usually caused by excessive skin care, which disrupts the skin microbiome. You should definitely seek medical advice so that you can correctly classify your redness. A dermatological practice can usually make a clear diagnosis based on the typical symptoms. By taking a skin sample, the severity of the rosacea can also be assessed and visually similar skin diseases can be ruled out. I have summarized the symptoms that characterize rosacea in the next paragraph.
3. Signs of the disease: How do I know if I have rosacea?
The chronic skin disease has many different faces. The early symptoms are fleeting, attack-like reddening of the skin in the forehead, nose, chin and cheeks.
Persistent facial redness
Persistent redness is very typical for rosacea. Once it is permanently visible, it is referred to as persistent facial erythema.
Papules and pustules
A typical symptom of rosacea is inflamed, red papules/nodules and pustules/pustules on the skin. They are usually found evenly on both sides of the face and complement the existing facial redness. The chest, neck, décolleté and scalp can also be affected.
Skin thickening
Enlargement of connective tissue and sebaceous glands can lead to bulbous skin thickening. In extreme cases, this leads to a bulbous nose, also known as rhinophyma. Phymas can also appear on the chin, jaw, forehead, ear and eyelid.
4. Pure formality: stages and severity of rosacea
The disease progresses over many years in phases with varying degrees of severity. Clinically, rosacea is divided into four stages that flow into one another. The first symptom most patients notice is fleeting erythema, visible redness of the skin.
They are caused by an expansion of the small, superficial blood vessels in the skin. If the vessels do not contract again, permanent facial redness develops over time. This permanent redness, known to experts as telangiectasia, marks the beginning of the first stage of rosacea (rosacea erythematoteleangiectatica). The irritability of the skin increases significantly. Stinging, burning and itching particularly affect patients. Inflammatory red papules and pustules characterize the second stage (rosacea papulopustulosa). They usually persist for longer periods of time, typically appear symmetrically and spread towards the forehead, chin and cheeks. While the disease often remains in this stage in women, nodules and tissue changes occur in men during the third stage (glandular-hyperplastic rosacea). Thickening of the connective tissue and enlargement of the sebaceous gland tissue are particularly common in the area of the nose and are known as rhinophyma. However, the chin, jaw, forehead, ear, eyelids or upper lip are also affected less frequently.
Usually the stages occur one after the other, but sometimes stages can be skipped or manifest themselves in a mixed form.
A relatively common special form of rosacea is ocular rosacea of the eyes. Due to the close proximity, the inflammation of the skin spreads to the eyes. Dry and burning eyes as well as redness and inflammation of the eyelid margins characterize the so-called ophthalmo-rosacea.
That sounds like quite a horror story. How did nature come up with that? If you want to delve deeper into the topic, you should definitely not skip the next section. I will give you a little insight into the pathophysiological history of rosacea.
5. Origin and causes of rosacea
Although the clinical characteristics of rosacea have long been known, until a few years ago very little was known about the causes of the disease. To date, it is not completely clear how rosacea actually develops. However, the understanding of the disease and its development has now expanded significantly. It is suspected that it is an interplay of several factors. Both genetics and external influences influence the development and progression of the disease to the same extent. Based on a twin study, scientists came to the conclusion that heredity contributes 46% to the development of rosacea and that the remaining 54% is attributable to the environment.
Rosacea as a misreaction of the immune system
The body has many ways of fighting off pathogens. Recent research has shown that the inflammatory skin reaction is caused by a misguided reaction of the immune system.
Special structures that normally identify microorganisms and viruses as foreign substances play an important role. As soon as this small machinery is set in motion, defensive reactions such as inflammation follow. An increased number of these structures was found in rosacea patients, which leads to an increased sensitivity to specific stimuli. A large number of protein particles was also found in those affected. In healthy people, these prevent germs from settling in a wound and thus causing infections. However, if the particles gain the upper hand, new blood vessels are formed and inflammatory substances are released. If our immune system now reacts to harmless substances with inflammation, the blood vessels expand. As a result, the fine vessels in the face transport more blood, which is noticeable as redness in the face.
The Demodex mites – irritating little creatures
The Demodex mite - tiny and normally harmless creature that lives on the skin of humans. Its preferred habitat is the pores and hair follicles of the face. When present normally, the mite supports our sebum production and thus serves to protect the skin from diseases. Studies have shown that people with rosacea have an increased colonization of these mites. The skin reacts to this with an immune reaction. It forms antibodies and thus triggers an inflammatory reaction on the surface of the skin.
The nervous system as a culprit
In addition to hypersensitivity to small foreign organisms, an increased reaction to physiological stimuli is also suspected. Special structures of the nervous system react sensitively to stimuli such as heat, alcohol and spicy food. The close connection between the nervous system and the immune system triggers inflammatory reactions that manifest themselves as erythema, edema, burning, stinging and itching.
When the immune system gets out of balance
Trigger factors such as Demodex mites and UV light activate signaling pathways that ultimately lead to the activation of immune cells via a circuit. An imbalance of signaling molecules ultimately leads to inflammation and the formation of pustules.
6. Myth Check Rosacea
Many people struggle with prejudices. But these almost always have nothing to do with reality. Unfortunately, many people with rosacea are also confronted with various half-knowledge, as many have little or no information about the skin disease. In the next paragraph, you will find out which prejudices persist and whether they actually have a kernel of truth or are just myths.
“Rosacea is rare and only affects women”
Rosacea is not a rare skin disease, with around 10 million people affected in Germany. According to literature, more women are affected, but men in particular suffer very frequently from the so-called bulbous nose. One possible consequence is physical complaints such as breathing problems. Since the greatly enlarged nose is often wrongly associated by those around it with increased alcohol consumption, many sufferers suffer from the additional psychological stress.
“Rosacea is contagious”
Rosacea is not contagious and cannot be transmitted to other people through hugging or touching. Although the exact causes have not yet been researched in detail, infection can definitely be ruled out.
“A red nose means inappropriate alcohol consumption”
“Did you drink too much?” or “Forgot your sunscreen?” are comments that rosacea patients often hear. Even the appearance of a red nose gives many outsiders something to comment on. The only thing that helps here is to address it directly and to speak out against the unjustified allegations. It is important not to hide and not to let prejudices dictate your life and well-being.
7. Provocation factors – What are typical triggers for rosacea?
Many sufferers not only suffer from the symptoms themselves, but also struggle with the fact that they often occur completely unexpectedly. The current trigger for the sudden flare-up is often not immediately recognizable, because they are as different and individual as the patients themselves. In order to protect yourself from such unpleasant surprises, it is useful to know your personal trigger factors and avoid them accordingly. The difficult thing is that every skin reacts differently and there is no universally applicable list. However, alcohol, sunlight, hot spices or even extreme cold and heat are particularly often recognized by many patients as triggers. Intensive exercise or additives in skin care products that promote circulation can also encourage rosacea flare-ups. It is therefore worth avoiding your personal triggers as much as possible. In addition, personal triggers can change over time. What is well tolerated today can trigger a flare-up tomorrow.
The best thing to do is to monitor your skin daily and keep a rosacea diary. This way you can easily identify your triggers and avoid the culprits in the future.
In addition to trigger factors such as alcohol and spicy food, there are also factors that are harder to avoid. Stress and excitement have been proven to have an effect on the symptoms of rosacea. However, these can also be slowed down by taking targeted rest breaks. Even small moments for yourself or a walk in the fresh air are enough to counteract inflammation or skin redness.
Does exercise make rosacea worse?
This all sounds quite complex and like there are a lot of prohibitions. But I can reassure you a little. With a little attention and caution, you too can shape your life the way you want. If you have stayed away from exercise and exertion up to now, I would like to give you a little guide on how you can integrate sporting activities into your everyday life.
Everyone's face turns red more or less when exercising. For many rosacea patients, however, extreme physical exertion can also trigger a flare-up with persistent facial redness. The reason: the blood vessels are visibly dilated even when resting. Due to the intensive blood flow, the face begins to glow and turns red. Many sufferers do not exercise for fear of this extreme facial coloring. Some even shy away from a walk in warmer temperatures. Since half an hour of moderate exercise a day already contributes to a stronger and healthier cardiovascular system, regular exercise is also absolutely sensible for rosacea. Sufferers should look for a sport that suits them. If you find that jogging triggers a flare-up, you should try Nordic walking instead. If you get a red face when swimming, you could test whether it is more tolerable to go to the lake without chlorine or maybe climb the bouldering wall. As a rule of thumb, you can remember: the physical exertion should be as pleasant as possible. It is better to replace heavy exertion with even, moderate exertion. With suitable clothing, sufficient ventilation, mild temperatures and good fluid intake, nothing stands in the way of your sport.
The psychological burden of rosacea
For many sufferers, however, the skin disease is not just an aesthetic challenge. In addition to the typical skin changes, many rosacea patients suffer from invisible symptoms, which are often underestimated. The results of the online survey "Beyond the visible" show how great the burden of the disease really is for rosacea sufferers. Over 700 patients and 550 dermatologists from six countries were surveyed. The aim was to better understand the effects and extent of the burden in order to gain new insights for optimal therapy and a better quality of life for patients. Rosacea is therefore primarily a psychological burden and severely restricts those affected in their lives. Many give up everyday habits and avoid leisure activities. One in three suffers from a loss of self-confidence and one in ten sufferers feels discouraged and depressed due to the symptoms. The psychological burden even goes so far that one in two patients reports moderate to severe depression. The result: The increased level of stress caused by this restricted lifestyle can make rosacea even worse, which increases stress again. A vicious cycle is created.
But there is also some good news: the psychosocial and emotional effects of the disease are significantly less if the symptoms are alleviated with consistent therapy. It is therefore important that the doctor and patient talk in detail about the disease. Openness is considered the key to treatment success.
8. Optimally adapted: Tailor-made Rosacea treatment plan
Patients with rosacea cannot be tarred with the same brush - there is therefore no standard treatment approach. If you want to prevent incipient rosacea from progressing further, you should go to a dermatologist early on. The sooner you counteract incipient rosacea, the better! Together we can develop a treatment plan that is individually tailored to you. The treatment of rosacea generally depends on the type, symptoms and severity. However, each treatment strategy should be individually adapted to the patient.
At the first signs of rosacea, intensive care is often sufficient. The main aim here is to prevent and reduce redness. In keeping with the motto: don't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, a special care cream can work wonders. However, if you are already in the first stage, over-the-counter creams or ointments are often no longer sufficient. Instead, anti-inflammatory products come to the fore. With more advanced rosacea, many people can no longer get by with external treatment alone. In addition, temporary treatment from the inside is recommended. Your dermatologist can prescribe a targeted therapy for you and thus increase the chances of treatment success. But it is even more important to adapt your own lifestyle. Whatever increases the redness in the face should definitely be avoided and provocation factors should be avoided.
No matter what stage, rosacea patients need sun protection with a high sun protection factor. As much as the sun is good for the soul, sunlight has been proven to worsen the symptoms and should therefore be avoided. Products with physical sun protection are particularly well tolerated. Products should avoid fragrances and chemical UV filters if possible.
Only mild cleaning products and gentle care products belong in the bathroom. At the first signs of rosacea, intensive care can work wonders.
However, you should always keep in touch with your dermatologist – because home remedies alone are not a suitable remedy, but rather a good supplement.
To support your immune system, you can try natural remedies. If used correctly, they can relieve irritation, redness and itching and make the skin feel pleasant. Mallow, chamomile, marigold and St. John's wort have an anti-inflammatory effect on rosacea. Teas made from dandelion, nettle leaves or horsetail have a positive effect on the metabolism. A colon cleanse and strengthening could improve the condition of the skin.
9. Which care helps with rosacea? Your new care routine
Be careful when washing
You should definitely not skip daily facial cleansing in the morning and evening. To avoid unnecessary irritation of your skin, you should use mild cleansing products, lukewarm water and gently dab. Our cleansing oil or cleansing gel are ideal for this, as they cleanse your skin gently and thoroughly without any aggressive ingredients, just by combining various nourishing oils.
Less is more
When choosing your skin care products, it's best to think twice. You should avoid fragrances and irritating ingredients and instead focus on moisturizing and barrier-strengthening substances. Our hyaluronic acid products are ideal for this. The day and night creams in particular strengthen your skin and support it in all its natural functions. The concentrate provides it with additional moisture.
Our tip: Azelaine and rosehip seed oil
Due to the calming and anti-inflammatory effect of Azelain Serums soothes skin prone to rosacea and actively combats impurities. With its additional antimicrobial and antioxidant effect, it not only protects your skin from irritation and inflammation caused by bacteria and viruses, but also strengthens the skin's protective barrier. Organic blueberry extract has a calming effect and the silica contained in the horsetail extract promotes skin renewal and refines the pores.
With its high proportion of carotenoids (provitamin A), rosehip seed oil has an antioxidant effect and stimulates cell renewal. It is also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids that care for your skin and strengthen its protective barrier. The combination of regenerating and protective ingredients makes our rosehip seed oil a wonderful companion, especially for sensitive and irritated skin.
Promotes blood circulation – no thanks
Preparations that contain substances that stimulate circulation, such as menthol, are particularly unsuitable. You should also avoid products containing vitamin A or fruit acids.
Sun protection – no matter what time of year
Even when the temperatures drop again, the sun can still be very intense. Therefore, you should use sunscreen even in winter and on cloudy days and not expose your skin to UV rays without protection. If you want to save a little time in your morning routine, you can mix your sunscreen with your day cream on the back of your hand and apply them together. However, you should refresh the sunscreen every now and then to ensure that the protection stays on your skin all day long.
10. How do I treat rosacea? Vitamin bombs for everyday life
Although the skin disease is genetic and incurable, it can now be brought under control with suitable measures. Science is now also certain: one's own diet has a decisive influence on the development and intensity of rosacea. A change in diet can have a positive effect on the immune system, reduce redness and make it easier to get through flare-ups of the skin disease. Why is that? Several scientific studies in recent years have found that rosacea patients also suffer from intestinal problems more often than average. This suggests a connection between intestinal health and the course of the disease - a healthy intestinal flora could act as a natural protective shield against rosacea.
Anyone suffering from rosacea should generally follow an anti-inflammatory diet. This can help the affected areas of skin to subside and strengthen the immune system. There is no special diet plan, but it is helpful to take the skin disease into account when eating. Acid-forming foods such as many sausages or sweets should only be consumed in moderation and spicy foods should be avoided if possible. The diet should include fewer animal products and lots of vegetables and healthy vegetable oils. Rapeseed oil or evening primrose oil contain anti-inflammatory substances and many vitamins. Sometimes omitting wheat products and cow's milk can also have a positive effect on the metabolism. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks stimulate blood circulation and promote facial redness. On the other hand, fiber is particularly important as it promotes digestion. Foods such as broccoli, seeds and nuts contain a lot of fiber. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut or yogurts also strengthen the intestinal flora and the immune system. However, not everyone reacts in the same way to the suspected foods. A food diary can help you find out which foods you are sensitive to.
At first, this may sound like a long list that you should pay attention to and work through in your everyday life. My advice to you: don't think too much about your pink companion and why he is accompanying you. Just go with it, don't provoke your opponent and give him what he longs for. With a little calmness, not only will your inner self calm down, but your outer self will also enjoy your positive attitude.
And never forget: everything in moderation . Enjoying your favorite food or a small sip of your favorite wine will give you a positive feeling of well-being and can alleviate stress-related symptoms.
As a little inspiration for your everyday rosacea life, my personal favorite recipe for a successful start to the day or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
My Rosacea recipe for every day – Chia-Apricot Pudding
Ingredients for 2 people:
300 ml unsweetened almond milk
30 g chia seeds
10 g linseed
1 ripe banana
Toppings:
Almonds
Apricots
Dried apricots
blueberries
Sweet apple
The day before, mix the almond drink with chia seeds and linseed and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Peel the banana, mash it with a fork and add it to the chia mixture. Mix everything together and leave it to soak in the fridge overnight. The next day, top the pudding with your favorite ingredients. Especially delicious: puree the apricots with a hand blender and cover the pudding with the apricot puree.
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/56045/Rosazea
https://link-springer-com.emedien.ub.uni-muenchen.de/article/10.1007/s00105-015-3735-5#Tab2
https://www-karger-com.emedien.ub.uni-muenchen.de/Article/Pdf/494073
Nourishes without greasing & provides the skin intensively with moisture
CHF 43.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 87.80 / 100ml
CHF 43.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 87.80 / 100ml
CHF 43.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 87.80 / 100ml
CHF 43.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 87.80 / 100ml
CHF 43.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 87.80 / 100ml
CHF 43.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 87.80 / 100ml
CHF 38.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 38.90 / 100ml
CHF 38.90
including VAT, plus shipping
CHF 38.90 / 100ml