Case:
Xiaomei (pseudonym), 23 years old, has been troubled by her skin condition for several years.
As a "sensitive acne muscle", her cheeks are red and plump for many years, and there are protruding red acne.
Inside these acne, there seems to be some needle-sized light yellow liquid, but it is not as good as ordinary pimples.
Not long ago, Xiaomei just saw that a beauty salon had a "needle clearing" project, asking for hundreds of yuan, and she gritted her teeth or went.
The acne needle pricked and squeezed on the face, but not much pus was squeezed out.
After doing the "needle clearance" for a few days, Xiaomei felt that her face became more sensitive, swollen and painful, and the punctured "acne" also oozed yellow liquid.
Reluctantly, Xiaomei eventually went to the hospital.
After the doctor's interview, she learned that she was not the so-called "sensitive acne muscle" at all, but had a skin disease - rosacea!
After treatment, Xiaomei's condition soon eased.
The global prevalence of rosacea averages 5.46%, and it can be said that there are 5 people with rosacea in every 100 people [1].
This also means that there are still many "little beauties" in the world who are still suffering from their "sensitive acne muscles".
In this article, we will talk about the disease of "rosacea" in detail.
Although there are two words in the name, rosacea and what we usually call "acne" (pimples, acne) are not a disease.
Rosacea is a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease that involves mainly facial blood vessels, nerves, and hair follicle sebaceous glandular units.
According to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rosacea in China (2021 Edition), the main clinical manifestations of rosacea are [2]:
Red blood capillaries (telangiectasia)
Blushing (paroxysmal flushing, persistent erythema)
Long "acne" and "small red packets" (papules, pustules)
"Rosacea" (hypertrophy of the nose due to long-term congestion).
In addition, skin sensitivity, edema, dry skin, dry eyes may occur [2].
In this way, you should be able to find that the performance of rosacea and "acne" is very different, and if you keep treating rosacea as a "acne", it may be counterproductive!
If the following 5 types of conditions occur, it is best to go to the dermatologist.
1. Persistent erythema on the face
The facial skin is constantly reddened, usually on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin, which is the most common manifestation of rosacea.
Erythema may also periodically worsen or lessen with external stimuli, but will not resolve completely on its own [3].
2. Flushed and hot face
Changes in temperature, sun exposure, spicy foods, and mood changes can all irritate neurovascular disease.
As short as a few seconds, as long as a few minutes, you may have flushing, burning sensations, and sometimes, you may feel a tingling pain in your cheeks.
Because of this, some people will have sensitive symptoms when they encounter hot and cold water, and mistakenly think that they are "sensitive muscles", which is actually a manifestation of rosacea.
Sometimes, the burning sensation of a flush attack can be subjectively felt, but obvious erythema cannot be seen.
3. "Acne" repeatedly
On the cheeks grow dome-like red "acne", needle-sized superficial pustules, which are also typical of rosacea "papule pustular type".
This kind of pustules, which are often mistaken for "acne", if treated with acne-specific care methods, are not only of little use, but also make the situation repeated.
4. Swollen nose
"Rosacea", rosacea can cause nasal hyperplasia, hypertrophy, purple color, like the dregs produced after wine making, so it is called "rosacea".
5. Dry and itchy eyes
The eye shape of rosacea often appears in conjunction with other symptoms, and symptoms such as dry eyes, foreign body sensation, tearing and photophobia, and blurred vision can occur.
If your "sensitive acne muscles" fit the description above, don't try to deal with them at home and try to go to the dermatologist in the hospital.
As long as you objectively describe your symptoms, the doctor can basically confirm the diagnosis according to your clinical manifestations, if necessary combined with laboratory tests such as dermoscopy.
In addition to medication and treatment as directed by a doctor, the daily care of rosacea is also important.
If diagnosed with rosacea, you should try to do a good job of skin care in these 3 aspects:
1. Strict sun protection
Ultraviolet rays can irritate the nerves and blood vessels, so be sure to take care of sun protection.
If the condition is severe and it is not convenient to use sunscreen, you can use physical sun protection measures such as umbrellas, sunglasses, and hats.
After the symptoms improve, you can try a sunscreen based on a lean formula and physical sunscreen (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide).
2. Clean as gently as possible
Temperature is also one of the recurring factors for rosacea.
Therefore, try not to wash your face with too hot or cold water, use your fingers instead of a face towel to clean your face, minimize local facial massage and friction, and avoid excessive cleaning.
3. Choose the right skin care products
Choose skincare products that have a restorative effect on the skin barrier!
When choosing skin care products, it is best to consult a doctor and choose skin care products that are less irritating and suitable for you.
Damage to the skin barrier is both one of the important predisposing factors for rosacea and one of the causes of skin sensitivity symptoms.
Clinically proven, it contains ceramides, hyaluronic acid and other functional skin care products that have a restorative effect on the skin barrier.
It can relieve sensitive symptoms such as dryness, tingling, and burning, and alleviate clinical manifestations such as paroxysmal flushing, and can be used for all types of rosacea.
Reviewer
Chi Huiyan | Chief Physician of the Department of Dermatology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
bibliography
[1] Gether, L., et al., Incidence and prevalence of rosacea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Dermatol, 2018. 179(2): p. 282-289.
[2] Rosacea Research Center of Dermatology and Venereology Branch of Chinese Medical Association and Rosacea Professional Committee of Dermatologist Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Chinese Guidelines for The Diagnosis and Treatment of Rosacea (2021 Edition). Chinese Journal of Dermatology, 2021. 54(04): pp. 279-288.
Wang Et al., Analysis of clinical features and diagnostic criteria of Rosacea in China. Chinese Journal of Dermatology, 2020. 53(09): pp. 675-679.
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