Curing Rosacea from Inside Out

My own battle with rosacea began in 2004 when I noticed a small red patch appearing on one cheek. I tried various 'cooling' creams and lotions but nothing reduced the redness. Then, following a stressful move, the redness spread to both cheeks. I looked permanently flushed, my cheeks burned and my skin felt irritated as though tiny mites were crawling under the surface. My doctor diagnosed rosacea and prescribed antibiotics. They didn't work, and I felt miserable and very self-conscious.

I spent months researching rosacea, visiting beauty clinics and checking out alternative/complementary medicine. Eventually I created my own 3-point plan to treat my rosacea both from the inside and on the outside.

It's always best though to get an accurate rosacea diagnosis from your doctor first.

* You are not alone. Around 14million men and women suffer from rosacea in the U.S. and an estimated 6million in the U.K.
* Acne rosacea is a separate disease to normal acne (acne vulgaris) although you can be affected by both. Acne vulgaris is caused when the oil gland ducts become blocked causing blackheads and pimples. Rosacea however seems to be linked to the vascular system of the face causing redness, bumps and pimples.
* Sun exposure, stress, alcohol, hot baths, spicy foods and hot drinks can aggravate the condition so best try to avoid them during any treatment plan. You can always reintroduce them again gradually as your skin improves.
* Thankfully, rosacea isn't contagious.

Check out these sites for more facts and figures, or for rosacea support:

National Rosacea Society US
Rosacea Support Group, Australia
UK Acne Support Group

1. Firstly I chose to treat my rosacea from within. I believe this is the most important part of any plan for curing rosacea long-term. I decided on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). While both Western and Chinese medicine view rosacea as a skin problem, TCM also views it as a condition related to lung and liver function disorder. In the West we treat the symptom only; traditional Chinese medicine treats the root cause of the condition. TCM has been practiced in China for more than 5,000 years so I had great faith in its success rate.

I was lucky to find Dr. Zhao, a highly qualified UK Chinese Medicine practitioner with 20 years clinical experience. Her advice to anyone seeking a professional TCM practitioner is to check they are:-

* well established
* reputable
* preferably someone who has been recommended to you

Please do some research first though. I hope the following websites will help you find out more information and put you in touch with a reputable practitioner:

The Association of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine
The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine
The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM)
Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association Ltd.

Check out this fascinating site too. Their 'Heal with TCM' page lists various health disorders and gives TCM tips for healing them:

Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation

Each week for about one year Dr. Zhao discussed my symptoms with me, checked my tongue and did a pulse examination. She told me that I had too much heat in my body which really made sense to me. She gave me a weekly supply of Chinese herbs from which I prepared a 'tea' and drank one cupful twice a day. I confess the tea tastes pretty awful but the final result is worth it. Your practitioner may find that acupuncture is a more suitable treatment for you though. Whatever treatment you choose it will be totally individual to you, and as time goes on you probably won't need to see your practitioner so regularly.

2. To treat my skin topically and reduce the irritation I used a product called 'Redness and Blemish Control', obtainable from Purple Emu, a company started by a lady called Nettie who also suffered from rosacea and is very sympathetic. Her products are all made from 100% natural ingredients.

3. I find soap irritating on my skin so cleanse morning and evening very gently with Dermalogica's 'Ultracalming Cleanser for Face and Eyes'. Dermalogica's range is great for sensitive skins. Also check out your local beauty salon as they may stock some of their products. Have recently (2009) found a nice day cream (anti-wrinkle too!) by Nivea called Anti-Wrinkle Q10Plus which so far hasn't aggravated my skin. Contains an SP15 factor too.

So far my 3-point plan has worked for me. I do believe you can treat rosacea but you must do it holistically to gain long-term control. Don't give up - rosacea is unlikely to disappear overnight but with persistence and by treating yourself inside and out it can mean an end to this distressing condition.

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