Rosacea

Rosacea shows on the central face — cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. It starts as flushing that comes and goes, and over time can settle into persistent redness, visible small blood vessels, and in some people papules and pustules.

It’s often mistaken for acne or for sensitive skin, and it’s neither. Some of what helps acne makes rosacea worse, which is why naming it correctly changes what happens next.

What your naturopath works on

Trigger mapping, which is the highest-yield thing available. Heat, sun, alcohol, spicy food, hot drinks, exercise, temperature change and stress are the usual candidates and the combination is individual. A short diary beats a generic list.

Sun protection, the single most consistent recommendation in rosacea and the one most often skipped.

What goes on the skin. Rosacea-prone skin has a compromised barrier, and foaming cleansers, alcohol-based toners, scrubs and fragrance all provoke it. Simplifying is frequently the whole intervention.

Digestive health. There’s a documented association with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, so where the digestive history points that way, testing may be worth it. Your naturopath can arrange it through a private laboratory, paid directly to the lab, with no Medicare rebate.

Vascular reactivity, and the everyday things that drive it — alcohol, blood sugar swings and stress.

⚠ Worth a medical opinion

Rosacea affecting the eyes — gritty, burning, red or watering eyes — is ocular rosacea and needs medical assessment, because it can affect the cornea if it’s left. Thickening skin on the nose, and any facial rash you’re not sure about, should also be looked at properly.

Prescribed topical or oral treatment continues alongside naturopathic care. Where a dermatology opinion is the right next step, we’ll refer you with a letter setting out what was found.

Related: acne, eczema and dermatitis, SIBO, gut microbiome and leaky gut.