Clinical manifestations of rosacea
The disease begins after 25-30 years. First, there is a tendency to frequent redness of the face, less often the neck and décolleté. “Burst blood vessels” (telangiectasias) appear. Then the redness in some areas becomes persistent. Subsequently, inflammation, peeling, and rashes (outwardly resembling pimples) may develop at the site of persistent redness. Without treatment, the number of such elements increases. Dryness and redness of the eyes often develop. In a small proportion of patients, with age, the so-called rhinophyma develops, a thickening and growth of the skin of the nose (“bumpy nose”).
Types of rosacea: A - Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, B - papulopustular rosacea, C - rhinophyma, D - ocular rosacea. Photo: Dermatology Reports / Open-i (CC BY-NC 3.0)
The cause of rosacea is impaired vascular tone of the face and inflammation in the vascular wall. They can be caused by various factors: hormonal disorders, characteristics of psycho-emotional status, diseases of the cardiovascular or digestive system, microbial factors. A doctor must understand the possible causes of the development of rosacea in a particular person and analyze the degree of influence of a particular health feature. The main task is to minimize external and internal factors that aggravate rosacea, and to directly affect the blood vessels of the face. Treatment regimens are chosen by the doctor; they are strictly individual in nature.
Photo: Dermatology and Therapy / Open-i
What happens in the skin?
Redness, no matter what causes it, represents increased blood flow to the skin. The vessels dilate greatly and contract with difficulty. Some of the fluid from the overcrowded vessels can seep into the surrounding tissues - swelling occurs.
Proteins and blood cells may also leak out. The condition of connective tissue fibers and muscles that help blood vessels contract and drain blood and lymph from the skin deteriorates. Stagnation and low-grade inflammation occurs in and around the vascular wall. Opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms can join this inflammation, which weakens the skin’s defenses.
What is a cosmetic allergy?
Many women are familiar with the condition when, after applying makeup, their eyelids suddenly swell and their face begins to burn or itch. The reason for this may be cosmetics, or more precisely one or more ingredients included in the cosmetic product. Most are a complex mixture of perfumes, emulsifiers, sunscreens, pigments, metals, resins and preservatives. Many contain extracts of exotic plants and essential oils, which can also cause an allergic reaction. Allergies to cosmetics can appear at any age, but are most often diagnosed in women between the ages of 20 and 60.
Rosacea treatment
Treatment of rosacea using intense pulsed light (IPL) technology.
Photo: BioMed research international / Open-i (CC BY 3.0) Therapy for this disease depends on the totality of manifestations and characteristics of a particular person. There is a classic treatment regimen for rosacea, accepted in dermatology. These are antibiotics, metronidazole, retinoids, antihistamines, local therapy.
Creams, gels, ointments containing azelaic acid, metronidazole, retinoids, pimecrolimus, and antibiotics are used topically. Treatment lasts several months. As prescribed by a doctor, various combinations of medications and their alternation can be used. Historically, ointments and pastes with ichthyol, tar, sulfur, and salicylic acid were widely used. Often they are still used today due to their low price, but all these products irritate the skin.
The main treatment should be aimed at eliminating provoking factors and restoring the normal state of blood vessels. Triggers vary from person to person, but the clear leader is excessive emotional reactions.
Physiotherapy has all these qualities.
The first stage of therapy, the longest, is to reduce swelling and inflammation in and around the vascular wall. Two methods are suitable for this. Laser-magnetic therapy is a combination of red and infrared laser radiation with a constant magnetic field. A powerful anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory effect on the vascular wall promotes the outflow of excess blood and lymph from the face.
Mens therapy, better known as microcurrent . A mild anti-inflammatory effect, restoration of normal tone of the neuromuscular system that regulates vascular contraction, normalizes vascular reactions to external influences.
Both procedures are prescribed 2 times a week, a total of at least 12-20 procedures are required. Depending on the prevalence of specific symptoms, you can start with microcurrent (redness and hot flashes predominate) or laser-magnetic therapy (swelling and inflammation predominate). For optimal results, it is advisable to use both methods. The procedures are inexpensive and painless, but require regular visits to the doctor (2 times a week for 30-40 minutes). The earlier treatment is started, the more effective and shorter it will last. After the procedures, maintenance therapy is prescribed.
In addition to physical therapy, medications may be prescribed that are selected individually. Efficacy is assessed as treatment progresses; drugs may be changed or combined.
Second phase. After stabilization of the situation, persistently dilated vessels that cannot be eliminated by therapeutic methods are removed.
One of the most effective and gentle methods for removing “vessels” is the use of a neodymium laser with a short powerful pulse. Delivery of such a pulse with an absorption spectrum in oxyhemoglobin (a blood component) promotes the removal of blood vessels without damaging the surrounding tissue.
Hypoallergenic cosmetics
People who are familiar with the problem of allergies to cosmetics often buy products from the hypoallergenic group in the future. Do they really protect against allergies?
If a cosmetic product states that it is hypoallergenic, this only means that during testing it was found that this product causes allergic reactions much less frequently than a similar one from the regular series.
However, buyers also need to understand that in most cases there is nothing behind the labels “hypoallergenic”, “natural”, “pure”, “organic” other than a marketing ploy. But not all manufacturers carry out real laboratory tests confirming the hypoallergenicity of products.
Differences between rosacea and rosacea
Cuperosis.
Photo: evgeniasheidt / freepik.com Cuperosis is the appearance of “bursted” blood vessels (telangiectasia) on the face and body. This may be the initial manifestation of rosacea or an independent disease. The difference from rosacea is that there is no progression in the form of inflammation and the appearance of rash elements. The concern is not so much the persistent diffuse redness as the presence of “vessels”. If rosacea is mild, manifested by single vessels, then treatment is limited to their removal. If the presence of “vessels” is accompanied by “hot flashes” to the face, heaviness and swelling in the legs, etc., you should consult a doctor so that he can conduct a consultation and find out whether there are signs of rosacea or, if the “vessels” are located on the legs, varicose veins.
The editors thank the specialists of the BioMI Vita clinic for their assistance in preparing the material.
What can cause allergies
It should be noted that an allergic reaction can be caused not only completely, but also by products that a woman has been using for quite a long time. This can be explained as follows.
First, everyone experiences allergy symptoms at different rates. The adverse reaction occurs most quickly in people suffering from seasonal allergies, asthma or eczema.
Secondly, the skin does not necessarily immediately signal an intolerance to a new cosmetic product. This primarily applies to people with strong immune systems. But over time, their immune system loses the ability to resist the inappropriate component in cosmetics and a severe allergic reaction occurs. That is, you can use the same lipstick every day for several months without any unpleasant symptoms, and then suddenly it causes an allergy.
In addition, expired cosmetics can cause an allergic reaction. But a more common cause of allergies is a new cosmetic product. In this case, signs may appear either within a few minutes after using cosmetics, or after several days or even weeks. But most often, allergies to makeup appear after about 24 hours. That is, a reaction to the shadows or primer used in make-up on Saturday evening may very well appear on Monday morning. This often happens the very first time you use a new cosmetic product. The second time, the reaction may occur almost immediately or according to the same principle as the first time.
One clear sign that a cosmetic product is causing an allergy is the fact that the rash or other unwanted symptoms go away after you stop using the product. But even if the allergy has passed and you have probably already understood which product caused it, this is not all that should be done in such a situation. At the next stage, you need to figure out which component in the cream, eye shadow, lipstick or other product caused the undesirable reaction. This knowledge will help you avoid foods that contain the allergen in the future.
Dangerous components in cosmetics
If a certain cosmetic product causes an allergy, the reason should always be sought in its chemical composition. The most common culprits for adverse reactions are metals found in certain types of cosmetics. Typically these are nickel and cobalt. They can be found in many eye shadows, antiperspirants and hair dyes.
The second most common cause of allergies to cosmetics is preservatives, which are added to many products to extend their shelf life. The most powerful allergens from this group are parabens, formaldehydes, and methylisothiazolinone. Preservatives are found in almost everything: from wet wipes to hair products.
Another dangerous ingredient is fragrances added to cosmetics and personal care products. Although additives in this group are generally not harmful to health, they can cause severe reactions in those with sensitive skin.
Also among the potentially dangerous substances for allergy sufferers are propylene glycol, which is used in cosmetics to maintain its moisture, and lanolin, a fat obtained from sheep’s wool.
And one more important point. An allergic reaction can occur not only after contact with synthetic components. The fact that the label of a cosmetic product says that it is natural does not guarantee protection against potential allergies. Many organic ingredients and essential oils are also strong allergens. It should also be remembered that extracts of some plants (especially citrus fruits and St. John's wort) can cause photoallergic reactions.
Or maybe the reason is not cosmetics?
Sometimes symptoms that resemble a makeup allergy may not be caused by cosmetic products at all. This may be a manifestation of increased skin sensitivity, which can appear for various reasons. Most often they are hidden inside the body, or more precisely, in substances obtained from food. Modern food contains many preservatives, pesticides and other components hazardous to health. According to a study by a cosmetics company, increased skin sensitivity can be caused by both internal factors (unhealthy food, parasitosis, helminthic infestations, persistent infections, alcohol and spice abuse, hormonal imbalance) and external factors (wind, sun, poor environment, dust, conditioned air , detergents). But experts call stress the most important enemy of the skin. In a state of chronic stress, the rate of cellular metabolism decreases, which in turn causes the accumulation of toxins in skin cells, giving it jaundice. And constantly high levels of adrenaline increase the risk of eczema.
