Issue link: http://www.finelinesmagazine.com/i/1291193
finelinesmagazine.com 11 Long-term cumulative sun exposure can result in chronic skin redness and the formation of multiple telangiectasias. You should also avoid tanning beds and booths. GENERAL RULES FOR REDNESS-PRONE SKIN Avoid heat of all types. Heat causes blood vessels and the blood itself to expand, resulting in redness flares. In people with rosacea, flares of redness cause production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a signaling protein made in the cells that causes growth, expansion, and formation of new blood vessels. Heat from sun exposure or other forms of heat exposure to the skin can cause this reaction, as well as immediate redness. Avoid heat-generating skin treatments. This includes prolonged skin steaming (if warm steam is used, steam should be administered at a distance of at least 15 inches) and sauna treatments. Avoid electric heat masks, heat lamps, exothermic (heat-releasing) masks, and paraffin face masks. Your esthetician should use lukewarm or cool towels instead of hot towels for mask removal. Avoid sun. The sun is a major source of ultraviolet ray exposure that can also cause damage to the skin and blood vessels. Long-term cumulative sun exposure can result in chronic skin redness and the formation of multiple telangiectasias. You should also avoid tanning beds and booths. Spray tans are an acceptable alternative. Avoid stimulating treatments and products. These types of products stimulate blood circulation, and while they may be helpful for mature, drier skin types, they can worsen redness conditions and cause potential flares of redness. Protect the skin's surface. Avoid heavy-foaming cleansers, as well as drying alcohols that can strip surface protective oils and can also act as a solvent for barrier lipids. Redness is a major symptom of an impaired lipid barrier. An impaired barrier allows vital moisture out of the skin and makes it easy for irritants to penetrate the skin's surface, causing inflammation and potential redness. Home care products that contain ceramides can help repair and protect the barrier function. Ceramides can be mixed into everything from sunscreens to night creams and serums, and are important treatment ingredients for redness-prone skin. Ask your esthetician for recommendations. Use products that have been dermatologist-tested for irritancy and allergy potential. These tested products, in general, are less likely to cause irritation and are less likely to contain ingredients that might cause redness to flare. Avoid fragranced products. Fragrance can be pleasant, but 63 percent of all cosmetic allergic reactions are caused by fragrance! Stay away from fragranced products. Be careful with professional peels and exfoliating procedures and products. Your esthetician should never suggest a peel if your skin is redness-flared. Overuse of any exfoliants, chemical or mechanical, can cause barrier function issues and result in an irritant reaction. Lightweight, low-concentration alpha hydroxy acid or salicylic peels are generally acceptable, as long as they are not used frequently and are not applied to already-flared skin. Use cooling gel (nondrying) masks. Masks containing soothing, anti-redness ingredients such as matricaria, green tea, grapeseed extract, sea whip, allantoin, or aloe vera may be helpful in quick redness reduction. Look for these ingredients in serum form for home use as well. By following these general rules, you can take care of your redness-prone skin and help keep it calm. Your esthetician can also recommend the proper professional treatments and home-care products for your unique skin struggles. Just ask! ▪