Winter Weather Tips for those with Rosacea

It’s winter in West Virginia!  Snow and cold temperatures and wind wreak havoc on some rosacea sufferers this time of year.  Everyone is different with rosacea. Some people are worse with cold temperatures, some with warm temperatures.  Personally, I have more trouble when I’m overheated, after a hot shower, getting in a hot car.  But many are the exact opposite.  Rosacea is very finicky.  

Most of the problems with rosacea in the winter involve flushing and redness more than bumps and pimples.  So if you are bothered by flushing from the winter cold, what can you do?  

Avoid extreme cold and wind.  This one is hard in some climates, and I always want patients to enjoy their life and spend time outdoors if they can.  So, let’s just skip past that one.   

Cool the skin with a cool mist spray.   I know this sounds counterintuitive.  But, when transitioning from a very cold to toasty warm environment, the blood vessels in the skin dilate to allow more blood flow to the skin to revive it.  Sometimes, they just overdo it a little.  You can tame that process once the flush has occurred by a cool mist to the skin or a tepid washcloth.  For the cool mist I like Avene Thermal Spring Water.  

Use prescription topical vasoconstrictors.  There are two main prescription products in this category.  Rhofade and Mirvaso both work to constrict the blood vessels letting less blood flow through.  These products work super well, but take about 20 minutes to work and last 6-8 hours.  One problem is rebound redness when they wear off. Just reapply as needed.  I generally do not recommend these for daily use, but just seasonally or for special occasions.  In the ZO skin care line, I recommend and personally use Rozatrol each morning that helps modulate the blood vessels.  

Treat the blood vessels with Intense Pulsed Light or Laser.  We have been doing these treatments in the office since 2005.  But this is not a quick fix.  Doing a series of treatments over 6-9 months will help for NEXT winter.  Generally, this is recommended more for patients with visible blood vessels and redness that persists for hours and days versus flushing that comes and goes quickly.  These treatments are occasionally covered by insurance, but usually are an out of pocket cost.  Usually 4 initially treatments are needed along with maintenance treatments once or twice a year.  

Good skin care.  This goes without saying sometimes, but with so many skin care “experts” in stores and online it can’t hurt.  With rosacea, simple is best.  I have a number of articles on our website address in detail and can be found in the links below.   A gentle wash and moisturizer are often helpful in the cold, dry winter weather.  I find Cetaphil cream does best for most rosacea patients, versus their lotion and versus Cerave cream.  For those in the sun and cold, a daily sunscreen with zinc is recommended all year round. 

Hope these tips help you manage the cold this winter.  If you are still having trouble, read the articles below or ask us at your next appointment.