Approximately 16 million Americans suffer from Rosacea. Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness and inflammation. Typically, redness begins on the cheeks and nose and slowly spreads over the forehead and chin. Rosacea typically affects fair skinned individuals who have a history of blushing easily. It often begins between the ages of 30 years old and 50 years old. In the beginning, it may be mistaken as a sunburn; however, often will progressively worsen. Here we look into how your hormones and rosacea are connected. The four stages of rosacea are:

Stage One – Individuals may experience intermittent flushing and facial redness.

Stage Two – Individuals may experience persistent redness on their cheeks, nose, forehead, or chin.

Stage Three – Individuals may experience small, red, or pus-colored bumps. Their blood vessels may look like thin red lines (telangiectasias).

Stage Four – Individuals may experience skin thickening and bumps on the nose.

Hormones and Rosacea

Symptoms of Rosacea

Rosacea is a cyclic condition. Symptoms are typically triggered by a situation or the ingestion of a particular substance. Seeking out medical help will improve your skin and may stop or reverse the progression of rosacea. Some common symptoms of Rosacea include the following.

  • Eye Irritation – Approximately half of all rosacea sufferers will experience dry, red eyes. Typically, irritation is mild; however, can become severe. Rosacea can affect vision if left untreated.
  • Nose Bumps – If rosacea is left untreated, a person can begin to develop knobby, small bumps on the nose and in turn the nose appears swollen. This condition called rhinophyma is more common in men.
  • Papules and Pimples – Small red pus filled pimples or papules can appear on the face. Oftentimes, this is mistaken for adult acne; however, unlike blackheads or whiteheads, these pimples are filled with pus.
  • Redness – The face can become very dry and facial redness looks similar to a sunburn. When blood flows rapidly through the blood vessels in the face, flushing occurs because the blood vessels increase in size to handle blood flow. Over time, the facial redness persists.
  • Telangiectasias – Rosacea causes blood vessels to enlarge in order to handle excess blood flow. These blood vessels look like thin red lines on your face.

Prevention of Rosacea

There are a number of triggers of rosacea. The triggers can vary from person to person. Any condition that causes blood vessels to dilate or blood flow to increase can trigger rosacea. Some common rosacea triggers include-

  • Alcohol – especially red wines
  • Anxiety
  • Cold temperatures
  • Haircare products
  • Exercise
  • Extreme heat
  • High histamine foods
  • Hormones, menopause, and menstrual cycle changes
  • Hot beverages
  • Humidity
  • Medical conditions
  • Medicines
  • Skincare products
  • Spicy foods
  • Stress
  • Sunlight
  • Wind

Hormone Imbalances Affect Your Rosacea

Rosacea can be affected by the hormonal changes that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle or during perimenopause. The hormonal changes that occur during your monthly cycle or perimenopause can increase redness, flushing, and rosacea bumps. Regulating hormone levels can help to reduce the occurrence of rosacea flareups. The hot flashes that women experience during menopause can trigger rosacea as well.

Stress Relieving Modalities

Hormone replacement therapy can be used to help regulate hormones and reduce the frequency and the severity of your hot flashes. In addition to bioidentical hormones, certain medications can help to reduce inflammation, which can reduce the severity of flushing.

Emotional stress can trigger rosacea and so a variety of stress relieving modalities can be used to reduce the risk of flareups.

  • Yoga, journaling, meditation, and prayer can help decrease stress levels.
  • Getting seven to nine hours restful sleep each night can help counteract the effects of stress on the body, regulate hormone levels, and reduce inflammation throughout the body, including the face.
Female Hormone Imbalance Quiz

Hormone Self Assessment Quiz

Here are a couple of hormone self-assessment questionnaires that can help evaluate your hormone levels. There is no substitute for consulting with your healthcare practitioner.

  • Dealing with hot flashes, PMS, low libido, mood swings, headaches, anxiety, or unexplained weight gain? Try our comprehensive Female Hormone Quiz
Female Estrogen Dominance Quiz

Looking for Help For Rosacea

The most important factor that helps minimize rosacea flare ups is to identify and address triggers. Most doctors recommend keeping a journal to help a person pinpoint them.

  • Avoid products that can dry the skin. Read the labels on your skincare products and avoid products that contain alcohol, fragrance, witch hazel, propylene glycol, peppermint, eucalyptus oil, camphor, and menthol.
  • Always wear sunscreen to help protect the skin and reduce the risk of a flare up. For best results, choose a sunscreen with minimal ingredients. Finally, sunscreens containing niacinamide can help reduce redness.

Rosacea is a chronic facial skin condition that causes redness and pus filled pimples. Imbalance in your hormones and rosacea symptoms are closely connected. Learning how to properly care for the skin and avoiding triggers can be challenging. Our hormone specialists will work with you to regulate your hormones and improve your skin.