How Can I Manage It?

While rosacea cannot be cured, it can be managed. Studies have shown that this chronic condition can last 10 years or more - although the condition is marked by periods of flare-ups and cycles of remissions. Patients who managed their conditions and followed long-term treatment plans were less likely to experience recurrences. Here are three easy ways to keep your condition under control:

Know Your Triggers

If you haven’t identified your specific triggers, keep a diary that will help you narrow them down. You may find that your face flares up after wearing certain cosmetics or eating specific foods. Perhaps your face becomes flushed after spending a day at the beach or after a good workout at the gym, or when you’re stressed or embarrassed. If you find your skin getting irritated when it’s particularly cold or during the dog days of summer, temperature may be a trigger for you.

Once you’ve identified your triggers, you’ll have to adapt your lifestyle to minimize or eliminate your exposure to them. Some are easier than others: cutting out alcohol and eliminating spicy foods from your diet are easy changes to make.

Avoiding temperature extremes may be difficult in wintertime, just as avoiding the heat may be difficult if you live in a warm climate. The good news is you can try to minimize your time outdoors during these particularly hot or cold days.

If you have identified workouts as a trigger, Everyday Health suggests bringing a frozen water bottle with you to the gym that you can apply to your neck during your workouts. As an added bonus, as it melts, you get a refreshing dose of hydration, which is good for every skin type.

Check your cosmetics and skincare products carefully, and work to weed out products that contain alcohol, witch hazel, and fragrances, which can irritate the skin. You should also minimize your use of toners, astringents, and strong scrubs that can irritate the skin, causing flare-ups.