Many environmental and biological factors leave us predisposed to facial redness. Even an embarrassing situation can cause your skin to flush, albeit temporarily. But long-term redness from acne and rosacea is stubborn and ultimately, frustrating. Luckily, patients have options in combatting their facial redness for good.
Consider these three strategies to limit your facial redness:
1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet
If you’ve ever felt the blood rush to your face after having an alcoholic drink, you know how inflammatory agents that you ingest can affect your skin’s appearance. If you notice extreme redness after drinking, consider stopping altogether. Spicy foods can also trigger a physical reaction on the skin, as well as hot coffee. Eat fresh and soothing foods with high water content, such as apples, peaches, cucumbers, melons and spinach. These help flush the system of excess heat caused by edible irritants.
2. Limit Sun Exposure
Sunburn is serious. Although the redness may subside after a long day basking in the sun’s rays, the damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays is permanent. UV-B rays are the primary culprit behind superficial sunburns, but UV-B rays penetrate beneath the epidermis and damage the soft tissue. Many sunscreens with SPF alone block UV-B rays to limit the potential for surface sunburns, but fail to protect you against harmful UV-B rays. Even clothing can’t always protect your skin from the strong sun. Always opt for a broad-spectrum sunscreen when heading outside for a long period of time.
3. Undergo Rosacea Treatment
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that mostly affects the face. From a distance, rosacea appears as red splotches. Up close, however, rosacea is a cluster of pustules or bumps. Around 1 in 20 Americans, 14 million in total, have rosacea, but about half misdiagnose themselves with acne before visiting a specialist. Eradicating dietary elements and avoiding prolonged sun exposure might not be enough to combat this condition alone. Veteran Miami dermatologist Dr. Mariano Busso can help assess, treat and discuss prevention tactics for dealing with rosacea. To book your consultation, call 305-857-0144 or book an appointment online.