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Certain lifestyle factors can worsen your rosacea symptoms. Those factors differ from person to person. You, for example, may experience a flare-up as the result of eating a spicy meal. Someone else with rosacea, on the other hand, may be able to eat a huge bowl of, say, hot chili without any effect on their skin.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
Surveys of rosacea patients have revealed that sunlight is the leading trigger of flare-ups. Minimize your direct exposure to the sun as much as possible, particularly between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wear protective clothing, including a brimmed hat. And always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen (one that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays) to your skin before going outside. The sunscreen should have an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30. Some rosacea patients find that sunscreens containing silicone are less stinging on their skin. Ask your physician to recommend a product for your skin.
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Watch What You Eat
Heated beverages (like coffee or hot soup), spicy foods (like curries and salsas), and alcohol (particularly beer and red wine) lead the list of foods that rosacea patients say worsen their symptoms. These are all foods that tend to cause blood vessels to dilate, thus increasing the risk that your skin will flush and redden. Only by keeping a food diary will you be able to accurately detemrine which foods, if any, have such an effect on you.
Reduce Stress
Emotional stress also falls high on the list of potential rosacea triggers. Standard strategies for reducing stress (get enough sleep, exercise regularly, pace your workload at home and at the office, and practice a relaxation technique such as yoga or meditation) can be very helpful. Find the strategy that works best for you.
Avoid Heat and Cold
Exposure to both hot and cold temperatures can cause your blood vessels to either expand or contract and your face to flush. Avoid very hot baths and showers, saunas, and overheated rooms. When you’re outside in cold and/or windy weather, be sure to protect your skin by bundling up and using a moisturizer. And don’t forget that you need a sunscreen on sunny winter days as well as sunny summer ones.
There are many other lifestyle steps you can take to keep your rosacea symptoms under control. Talk with your doctor about which strategies he or she recommends as part of your treatment plan.
More about Rosacea Treatment
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