5 reasons why my skin is red

Red rosy cheeks or flushed skin is usually a visual sign of healthy skin, or a person being too hot, shy, or embarrassed. But it can cause discomfort or physical concern when the redness occurs very often and is prolonged. We have seen many of you come into our clinic with concerns about skin redness.

How it happens

We normally have blood vessels lying underneath our skin in order to provide nutrients, oxygen, and to control skin’s temperature. As our skin is exposed to an environment of allergens or pollutants every day, the vessels or capillaries could change their structure and become fragile, broken, or enlarged resulting in the appearance of redness with possible fine vessels or broken capillaries on the skin’s surface. The redness can be seen anywhere on the face, but is often seen over both cheeks and even spreading over the nose and or up to the temples. There are many potential causes of skin redness out there, but the top 5 reasons that can turn your face red are listed below and there are many ways to combat or prevent the conditions.

1 - Skin barrier impairment

Red, dry, flaky, itchy, inflamed, and sensitive skin are the signs of the skin barrier being impaired. But why does it happen? Normally, our skin barrier works by preventing loss of moisture, allowing substances like cream or any active ingredients to get into our skin as well as protecting our face from external harms like the environment, chemicals, etc. This defense mechanism uses lipids in our skin structure to maintain its function which is composed of cholesterol, free fatty acids, and ceramides. There are many external and internal factors such as daily sun exposure, aging, detergents and unappropriated pH in some skin care products that affect the lipids structure, and lead to skin barrier impair. Ongoing skin barrier impairment can lead to atopic dermatitis, eczema, and acne. Using proper skin care containing ceramides and Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) can protect and maintain healthy skin barriers.

At Clinica Lase, we have a wide range of skin products and treatments that can improve and maintain the skin barrier function as well as supplements to work from the inside like Beauty plus oil.

Recommended Treatment: Laser Genesis and LED

2 - Acne Inflammation

Red, swollen, and pain with or without yellow pus in the middle are an indication of acne. It is uncomfortable and ruins our confidence. Acne can be caused by many factors like the overproduction of sebum or oil in our skin, hormone imbalance, clogged pores, and even stress or food that we eat every day. Acne treatment is a long journey that requires a lot of patience as it involves a series of treatments and at-home care that will reduce acne inflammation and calm down the redness and tenderness. Acne is categorized to 4 grades, so it is better to contact one of our team members to see what is the best option for your acne condition.

Recommended Products: Biretix Duo, Alpharet Clearing serum, Actibiome and Turnover

Recommended Treatment: Laser Genesis, LED, Chemical Peel and EXCEL V.

3 - Rosacea

Rosacea is a common chronic and inflammatory skin condition that is usually presented with redness, hot, flushed and a burning sensation with or without swelling that sometimes comes with patches of rough and dry skin at the beginning. Visible vessels or fine capillaries can be presented which is called telangiectasia. The condition can then develop to papule and/or pustule if the symptoms persist or worsen. The cause of rosacea is unknown, however, the experts tend to believe that extreme weather, sun exposure, mites or a bacteria infection or even spicy food can aggravate the condition. Therefore, avoiding those triggers is recommended. Sadly, there is no permanent cure for rosacea as it comes and goes, but strengthening the skin barrier is the key and seeking help from professional clinicians will help you control the condition faster.

Recommended Treatment: Laser Genesis, LED and EXCEL V, Sculpted mask.

4 - Perioral Dermatitis

Have you ever had a rash only around the mouth area? If yes, you might have perioral dermatitis. It is really common in female adults and mostly appears pink or redness, small inflammatory pustules, and papules, dry, flaky around the mouth which can spread to the nose or up to the eyes areas, caused by overuse of steroid cream, cosmetic products such as foundation and fluoride toothpaste. Therefore, the first recommendation will be to avoid steroid and corticosteroid creams as well as cosmetic products and creams. Using clinically proven cosmeceutical products that have calming and soothing properties together with appropriate treatments will be beneficial for this condition. However, if the symptoms persist, seeking advice from a GP or dermatologist is recommended.

Recommended Treatment: LED and Sculpted Mask

5 - Menopause

When talking about menopause, the majority of women will think of hot flashes, no more periods, wrinkles, and aging of the skin. But do you know that our skin has changed more than that?

Generally, our body goes through perimenopause first, which starts around mid-40s. At this stage, you will experience irregular periods, but menopause is when the period stops. When the perimenopause stage begins, our estrogen hormone level reduces and affects our skin pH level, skin barrier, collagen, and pigment production, which means skin can easily become more red, irritated, and inflamed. Dry, flaky patches of skin, oily, acne, wrinkly, and hyperpigmented skin can be noticeable and can worsen the rosacea and dilated vessels condition. Using effective cosmeceutical products containing natural moisturizing factors (NMF), Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin A, peptides, and anti-redness products is recommended to control the redness and dry skin as well as smoothing the appearance of fine lines. At Clinica Lase, we have Emepelle, a product that contains potent substances that mimic the estrogen effect as well as clinically proven modalities to enhance skin laxity. Feel free to contact one of our team members to discuss your individually tailored treatment.

Recommended Treatment: Skinpen, Clear and Brilliant, Potenza, Laser Genesis, Pico, LED and Chemical Peel

References

Danby, S. G., Andrew, P. V., Kay, L. J., Pinnock, A., Chittock, J., Brown, K., Williams, S. F., & Cork, M. J. (2022). Enhancement of stratum corneum lipid structure improves skin barrier function and protects against irritation in adults with dry, eczema-prone skin. The British journal of dermatology, 186(5), 875–886. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20955

Jungersted, J. M., Hellgren, L. I., Jemec, G. B., & Agner, T. (2008). Lipids and skin barrier function--a clinical perspective. Contact dermatitis, 58(5), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0536.2008.01320.x

Jiang, H., Li, C. Y., Zhou, L., Lu, B., Lin, Y., Huang, X., Wei, B., Wang, Q., Wang, L., & Lu, J. (2015). Acne patients frequently associated with abnormal plasma lipid profile. The Journal of dermatology, 42(3), 296–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/1346-8138.12761

Rivero, A. L., & Whitfeld, M. (2018). An update on the treatment of rosacea. Australian prescriber, 41(1), 20–24. https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2018.004

Sagili, H., & Rajan, S. (2021). Cutaneous Manifestations of estrogen excess and deficiency. Gynecological and Reproductive Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2(3), 162- 167. Retrieved from https://gremjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/05_Saroj_GREM3-2021.pdf

Sobhan, M., Seif Rabiei, M. A., & Amerifar, M. (2020). Correlation Between Lipid Profile and Acne Vulgaris. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 13, 67–71. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S230617

Tempark, T., Shwayder, T.A. Perioral Dermatitis: A Review of the Condition with Special Attention to Treatment Options. Am J Clin Dermatol 15, 101–113 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-014-0067-7

Zhang, H., Tang, K., Wang, Y. et al. Rosacea Treatment: Review and Update. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 11, 13–24 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-020-00461-0