Skin Health Spotlight: Rosacea
Rosacea is one of the top 5 skin conditions I treat. It is very common in lighter skinned people, especially those with Celtic or Northern European ancestry, but can effect anyone!
Rosacea typically begins in the early 30s as flushing or blushing easily, but untreated it tends to progress to permanent redness on the cheeks, inflamed breakouts and visible broken blood vessels (aka telangiectasia) on the cheeks and nose. It can even effect the eyes causing red, inflamed eyes and vision impairment over time.
The most common Western medicine treatments for rosacea include antibiotics and steroids. For folks who have not found relief with these treatments or would prefer to avoid pharmaceuticals, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a great option for healing from Rosacea.
How can TCM help to heal your rosacea? Let’s look at a case study.
Annie (name changed for privacy), age 45, had been suffering with severe rosacea for almost 10 years before she came to see me. When her rosacea started she had mild redness on both cheeks and occasional breakouts of tiny papules and pustules on her cheeks. Her skin would flush red regularly due to stress and emotions, hormonal fluctuations, many different food triggers, sun exposure and temperature changes. By the time she came in for treatment, she had permanent flushing, extreme redness on both cheeks, forehead, and across her nose. She had constant pustules on both cheeks and new ones erupting daily. Her skin felt hot and itchy all the time. Her diet had become quite restrictive due to concerns that many foods were triggering her rosacea. And worst of all, she was constantly stressed, embarrassed and worried about her skins appearance. She had tried conventional treatments in the past and had even tried acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines for many years with no effect.
When we began treatment her skin responded immediately. Within the first 4 weeks of treatment, her episodes of flushing had reduced from daily flushing to once or twice per week. The itching and heat had also disappeared and the redness in her skin was starting to decrease. Her menstrual cycle had begun to regulate and her mood was noticeably lifted. Within 3 months her skin was more than 90% clear. Her episodes of flushing were rare and would recede quickly without leaving any visible inflammation behind. She was able to increase variety in her diet and reincorporate most of the foods she had cut out previously, and now just avoids the two definite trigger foods for her skin. Over the next 6 months her skin continue to clear and episodes of flares became few and far between. Her skin is no longer a source of stress in her life and instead she feels in control of her life and her body again. Truly a success story for the power of TCM to transform our skin health and our total wellbeing!
Herbal treatments and acupuncture for rosacea tailored specifically to your body and skin's unique needs first work to clear the inflammation presenting on the skin and then move to repair any dysfunction in the digestive system or elsewhere in the body to prevent reoccurrence of symptoms. Read more about how we can treat Rosacea naturally.
When over the counter treatments for rosacea aren’t working and you're looking for a more natural approach to heal your skin, we’re here for you! If you’re ready for clear skin schedule a Free Consultation today!