Support for rosacea
My friend suffers from acne rosacea and has discovered that very few practitioners understand this condition. Can you recommend one that does? We want to find someone who will take an holistic approach and recognise the role of lifestyle and stress plays with this problem.
Skin problems that affect the face cause more psychological distress for sufferers than anything else I can think of and one of the biggest problems facing people who have rosacea, it that the subject gets treated like the poor relation of acne. Although they are always lumped together, rosacea is not the same as acne and indeed, the treatment regiments recommended for acne are too harsh for rosacea.
Most common in middle-aged women where the first sign is often a temporary flushing of the face, rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition now believed to affect one adult in 15.The symptoms include facial redness across the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead, visibly damaged blood vessels, and small, red inflammatory papules and pustules. Unlike acne though, it does not present with blackheads.
Rosacea can flare up for no obvious reason and while holistic experts report a strong link with digestion and stress, environmental factors, such as sudden exposure to sunlight, wind or temperature changes can make it worse. So will red wine and caffeine.
Dr Geoffrey Nase is an American doctor and rosacea sufferer who has spent five years investigating natural remedies. He recommends sufferers take a form of antioxidant vitamin C called Ester C, plus grape seed extract. This combination has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and will work to strengthen the blood vessel walls and decreases swelling of the affected areas. If you weigh under 150lb, work up to 1,000mg of Ester C and 200mg of grape seed extract, three times a day. Over this weight, aim for 2,000mg of Ester C and 200mg of grape seed extract. (Be warned: high doses of vitamin C can cause temporary diarrhoea.)
*Revital (0800-252875) sells both Ester C and grape seed extract. You can buy Ester C in powder or tablet form. Country Life’s 1000mg tablets cost £8.95 for 50 capsules. The recommended brand for the grape seed is Source Natural’s Proanthodyn. 30 x 100mg tablets cost £24.95. Add £1.50 p&p. Helen Sher is a skin specialist who has developed a skincare range, including make-up, for acne and rosacea sufferers. It has helped many sufferers. Contact the helpline on 020-7499 4022. The Acne Support Group (020-8561 6868) can also recommend specialists.