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Red broken veins on the face
What can you suggest to help reduce broken red veins on my face that make my complexion always look red or pink? They are particularly visible over my cheeks and nose.
This sounds like a fairly common but little known inflammatory skin complaint called acne rosacea, which is causing both the broken vessels and the redness. Most common in middle-aged women, the symptoms include a ruddy complexion, especially across the nose and cheeks and while no single cause has been identified, one theory is that it is due to a disorder of the blood vessels in the face.
Since natural health practitioners link rosacea to digestive disorders that are exacerbated by stress - you may have noticed certain foods, especially hot and spicy dishes, can trigger an attack - the best regimen will include a probiotic to rebuild the good bacteria in the gut that keep the digestive system healthy.
Helen Sher, a skin therapist who specialises in acne and acne rosacea skins, has teamed up with supplement-maker Higher Nature to create the new Sher System Skin Support formula which will really help your skin from the inside out. Packed with a therapeutic dose of herbs, minerals, and probiotics, it costs £10.90 for 30 capsules. Mail order on 020-7499 4022.
To cool a reddened, angry skin, it would be hard to beat the Thermal Mud Mask I discovered in New Zealand last month. It includes ginseng, vitamin E, and soothing Aloe Vera and instead of an unappealing mud colour is a cleansing and cooling spa blue-coloured cream. Happily, it is available in the UK from the Nutricentre (0800-587 2290) where it costs £17.95 for 200gm.