ADVERTORIAL: THAT RED FACE MAY NOT BE BLUSHING

March signifies the start of the tax year and putting the past financial year to bed. I hope you haven’t slipped up and hidden that spa day as client entertainment or put it under miscellaneous expenses – you will be found out!

You might go scarlet over the amount of tax you have to pay. But if it’s a lot, it means you’ve had a profitable year. In fact, some people actually complain (or rather brag!) about how much tax they have to pay as a subtle way of saying ‘I’m doing well.” Does the shoe fit and make you blush?

All this blushing leads me to two skin conditions that will leave you red in the face – rosacea and couperosis. The good news is that you can actually do something about them.

Rosacea

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin disease that causes facial redness, and no, it is not caused by drinking alcohol, although alcohol can aggravate it. It affects mostly people with fair skin and although more common in females, men may also develop more visible signs of rosacea.

The first symptoms can appear as skin redness which can last for a few hours or even days. This redness can be aggravated by stress, alcohol, spicy foods, very hot or cold conditions, sun, exercise or medications that dilate blood vessels such as certain blood pressure medications.

In the long term, the hyperactive blood vessels may be damaged, which leads to permanent teleangiectases (tiny spider veins) and erythema (redness) symptoms.

Couperosis

Couperosis are small dilated superficial blood vessels that belong to the group of teleangiectases and indicate a weak capillary and connective tissue system.

They appear as little threads or spider veins mostly on the face and around the nose, but can also be seen on the thighs and lower legs.

Therapy

There are several types of therapy available and a medical doctor at the skin clinic should assesses your condition and recommend the best treatment for it.

There are traditional topical treatments as well as light and laser therapies that will offer lasting improvement of your skin. Light and laser therapy have been very successful in skin rejuvenation, and can also treat the redness of rosacea very effectively.

Skin care products

Skin care products should be for sensitive skin and be without perfumes and preservatives.

Ingredients that will help:

• Vitamin K1 is soothing and helps with redness and spider veins.

• Chamomile and Echinacea are non-irritating, reduce redness and are antiseptic.

• Aloe Vera moisturises and aids the healing process.

• Vitamin A promotes collagen formation and regeneration of skin.

• Salicylic acid is used against rosacea and has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

These are just a few of a long list, but ask your therapist for products that they can recommend for the treatment of rosacea.

Laser therapy

The fourth generation IPL device, Limelight™ will shrink the tiny vessels causing the diffuse redness. When combined with Laser Genesis™ therapy, the results are even better.

Both Limelight and Laser Genesis are non-invasive laser technologies that are safe to use and effectively improve the condition of the skin.

For redness and rosacea, the Laser Genesis procedure shrinks the tiny veins that cause the diffuse redness. Even though rosacea cannot be cured, it can be vastly improved by going for this treatment.

Always use a good sunscreen to minimise sun damage, especially for 10 days after a laser procedure

IPL Photo Genesis™

IPL Photo Genesis™ utilises light therapy and there is no downtime. It improves redness, shrinks dilated blood vessels, reduces sunspots and fine lines, diminishes pore size and uneven skin tone.

After Photo Genesis treatment the red or brown spots will darken and skin may be slightly red, but these will flake off and fade. Diffuse redness or spider veins will decrease and result in a smoother complexion.

Transdermal Mesotherapy with the application of Couperosis

Couperosis is a cosmetic treatment that has been formulated to fight red patches in the skin and minimise the reactivity of blood capillaries. It is topically applied and has an effect on three levels i.e. calming and smoothing the skin, decreasing capillary permeability and protecting the dermal extracellular matrix.

Mesoestetic Couperend Maintenance cream, with a soothing and decongestant action, will help to restore skin comfort in all skintypes especially sensitive skin and hyper-reactive skin.

Be aware that SkinMedica Redness Relief is another option. It is a clinical breakthrough that reduces the appearance of visible redness and is on promotion this month at Skin Renewal.

Remember that your condition should first be assessed before deciding on the right treatment for you.

So forget about the tax man and year-end accounts and visit a specialist, such as a Skin Renewal clinic, for help with the red flushing of your face. I’m all for visiting professionals to make sure you get the right kind of help; whether it’s an auditor you need or a really knowledgeable therapist who can rejuvenate your skin.