Have you struggled with Rosacea? Flushed cheeks, bumps on your cheeks and forehead that are not pimples and show up whenever?
What is Rosacea? In short, Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels in your face. It may also produce small, red, pus-filled bumps. These signs and symptoms may flare up for weeks to months and then go away for a while. (Mayo Clinic)I have always had flushes cheeks as far back as I could remember. I started noticing red bumps on my checks and nose around the age of 27. At first I thought it was acne and I need to change out my bedding every few days instead of once a week. So I started making those changes, and noticed that nothing was changing, until one day the “acne” went away. So I thought it was a fluke. A few months later I had another flare up, and this time it was worse and everything I tried was not working. I thought, okay maybe it is the dairy – which I already knew that it was causing my PCOS cystic acne to go crazy, so I cut out all of the dairy for a month, but nothing happened. So I was at a loss.
I started doing some intense research on anything and everything it could be, along with documenting my out breaks with pictures and what I was doing when the outbreaks occurred. I started to notice with the research I was conducting that my symptoms were similar to those of Rosacea. I started treating my outbreaks as Rosacea (I did not receive a formal diagnoses from a dermatologist, I have self-diagnosed myself). I noticed when I am stressed (which happens a lot due to my engineering job) and I drink red wines with high sulfate content then my Rosacea breaks become intense and last for four to six weeks. The stress from my job is not something that I can control, but my wine consumption has changed and I have cut out drinking any and all red wine. I am currently staying away from all alcohol to all for my body to cleanse and my Rosacea to calm down.
Here is a list of others factors that cause Rosacea to becoming inflamed and irritated.
- Hot drinks and spicy foods
- Red wine and other alcoholic beverages
- Temperature extremes
- Sunlight or wind
- Emotions
- Exercise
- Drugs that dilate blood vessels, including some blood pressure medications
- Various cosmetic products
Risk Factors for Rosacea
Anyone can develop rosacea. But you may be more likely to develop it if you:
- Are female
- Have light skin, particularly if it has been damaged by the sun
- Are over age 30
- Smoke
- Have a family history of rosacea
xoxo,
Kayt