10 Things That Can Trigger Rosacea
Rosacea – a chronic condition in which a person’s cheeks, nose, chin, eyelids or forehead become inflamed and red – tends to be more common in women, people between the ages of 30 and 50 and those with fair skin. While there is no cure, rosacea can be controlled by avoiding triggers and, occasionally, with medication.
Common triggers that worsen rosacea include:
- Alcohol
- Spicy foods
- Coffee and caffeinated beverages
- Hot foods and beverages
- Strenuous exercise
- Extreme temperatures
- Chronic stress
- Sun exposure and sunburns
- Certain drugs, such as corticosteroids and some blood pressure medications
- Some patients get clear complexion upon giving up gluten and dairy-containing foods as they can be inflammatory to some.
A three- to four-week elimination trial is worth doing. If it helps, consider adding back only one group at a time to help identify the culprit for you.
To minimize flare-ups of rosacea, avoid the above triggers, protect your face from harsh elements, use sunscreen designed for use on the face, manage stress levels and use products that are hypoallergenic.
I also recommend following an anti-inflammatory diet; supplementing with gamma-linolenic acid, which may improve the health of the skin (consider evening primrose oil or black currant oil – take 500 mg twice a day of either, and expect to wait at least six to eight weeks to notice results); and using topical preparations that utilize natural anti-inflammatory constituents, such as a variety of probiotics or medicinal mushrooms.
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