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A little blushing or red complexion is nothing to be embarrassed about... but when your skin redness starts to affect you, it's worth finding out what is causing it.There are many reasons your skin may be red. And today we are going to address the 3 main types of skin inflammation - broken blood vessels, Rosacea, and sensitized skin... what they look like, how it happens, and how to deal with each.So hop aboard and let’s go on a little skin tour…Welcome to another episode of Skincare Secrets… Our immune system plays a vital role in maintaining the health of all the tissues of the body, including the tissues in our skin. Its job.. is to attack invaders, such as microorganisms, foreign substances, and cancer cells. Usually the immune system reaction protects the body and aids in healing it but sometimes the immune reaction takes a toll on healthy tissues and that causes severe inflammation and skin damage. On the first stop of our skin tour we will visit “broken capillaries” which are basically broken blood vessels. The medical term for this is Telangiectasia.What are broken blood vessels?Broken capillaries is a skin condition on the face in which small blood vessels that sit near the surface of the skin get weaker and break, and then blood spreads under the surface of the skin. Broken blood vessels can happen anywhere on the body but they are more noticeable on the face...on the legs broken blood vessels are known as spider veins.How do broken blood vessels happen?Broken blood vessels can happen to anyone at any age... but some people develop them more easily than others. They are more noticeable in fair-skinned people. In most cases, they don’t cause any symptoms other than redness, although sometimes they CAN bleed.   There are a number of causes of broken blood vessels on the face:Genetics. They can be inherited. For unknown reasons, spider veins tend to run in families and the risk factor can increase with age. Pregnancy. An increase in the hormone estrogen during pregnancy can cause broken blood vessels. Unlike other broken blood vessels, pregnancy-related spider veins heal on their own after giving birth.Rosacea. This common skin condition leads to excessive redness, and broken blood vessels are very common.Sun exposure. Excessive sun exposure can enlarge your blood vessels because you are constantly heating up your skin. If you get a sunburn, the top layer of skin may peel and temporarily make some of the blood vessels in your face more noticeable.The weather. Hot weather increases and expands the blood vessels, so people who live in a hot climate all year round are more susceptible to developing broken blood vessels.  Alcohol. Drinking alcohol can cause your skin to flush due to the enlargement of blood vessels, especially red wine. Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use can eventually lead to spider veins, which are bigger and darker broken blood vessels. Injuries. Minor and major injuries can both lead to bruising and bruising on the face will make broken blood vessels more noticeable because the blot clots to stop the injury at the surface of the skin.And in some rare cases, even Vomiting or sneezing can cause broken blood vessels because the sudden, extreme pressure in your face from a very strong sneeze or vomiting can break the blood vessels in the skin.What does it look like?Broken blood vessels look like tiny pieces of thread and they are typically red or pink. They can range in color from red to blue or purple. They mostly occur on the face, nose, chin, and cheeks where they cause redness. They are harmless... but sometimes can cause itching and pain. How to treat it? There is no cure for broken blood vessels, but there are a lot of ways you can prevent further damage and redness. A good place to start is by ditching the hot showers and baths. Heat can expand blood vessels and break them so try warm water and gently wash your face and body. And in terms of what can minimize the redness Retinoids may help reduce the appearance of spider veins because retinoids stimulate collagen protein which helps to heal wounds like broken capillaries. Laser therapy works by destroying the poorly functioning vein making it disappear completely. Intense pulsed light or IPL uses the same concept as laser therapy, but with light that penetrates down to the second layer of skin without harming the top layer.Our next scheduled stop is Rosacea - a chronic skin condition that affects more than 16 million Americans. What is it?The cause of Rosacea is still unknown and there is no cure for the condition. But continued research has allowed us to at least find a way to help the symptoms. What does it look like?Doctors have only been able to recognize Rosacea by it’s red, pus-filled bumps that are most common on the cheeks, nose, and forehead during a flare up. There are 4 types or Rosacea. And it is possible to have more than one type. The first is probably what you think of when you hear Rosacea. It is widespread redness over the face on the cheeks, nose, and forehead. The second looks like acne breakouts of raised red and infected bumps. The third is a hardening and thickening of the nose. The fourth affects the eye and makes it look bloodshot and watery. It can also make the eyes feel gritty, they may sting, and burn like you just stood eyes wide open in a sandstorm. How does it happen?We actually don’t know.. but it has been linked to hereditary and environmental factors. It is known that some things may make your rosacea SYMPTOMS worse which include spicy food, alcohol, and stomach ulcersThere are some factors like skin color, age, and genetics that can make you more likely to develop Rosacea than others. Rosacea usually begins between the ages of 30 and 50 but it can begin as early as in the 20’s. It is also more common in people who are fair-skinned and have blond hair and blue eyes. You are more likely to develop Rosacea if you have a family history of it. And women are also more likely to develop Rosacea than men. Although men with Rosacea will have more severe symptoms. How to treat it? As doctors better understand how to treat the symptoms of Rosacea they are discovering more treatment options. A 2018 study gave an update on treating each form of Rosacea with specific medical options including prescription drugs and antibiotics to reduce redness and clear up acne breakouts. Laser therapy may help to reduce redness and broken capillaries but it has not been shown to reduce the flushing in the skin during a Rosacea flare up. In a 2017 study, 25 patients with mild to severe rosacea were treated with a prescription topical retinol at a 0.05% once a day for 6 months. And more than 80% of patients had clear or close to clear skin at the end of the study. Rosacea should be medically diagnosed by a doctor. Many people mistakenly diagnose themselves as having Rosacea at the first sign of red skin. If you think you might have Rosacea, you may want to make your way to the doctor to have it properly diagnosed. The final stop on our skin tour is Sensitized Skin...Sensitized skin isn’t a disease that a doctor can diagnose you with. You may not even know your skin is sensitized until you have a bad reaction to a cosmetic product, like soap, moisturizer, or makeup. Conditions that cause sensitized skin are not typically serious. You can usually keep your symptoms under control with a few simple changes to your skin care routine.What is sensitized skin?Sensitized skin is different from sensitive skin because sensitive skin is a skin type while sensitized skin is usually a symptom of another condition. Sensitized skin is acquired which means it doesn’t happen overnight and is usually the result of skin damage.  How does sensitized happen?There is a long list of reasons why your skin can become sensitized. The main causes are pollution, alcohol, smoking, poor diet, and constant emotional and physical stress. All of that combined together causes red, irritated skin and a broken down oil barrier that can no longer moisturize and protect your skin. Other potential irritants include hot water, super spicy foods, and extreme hot or cold temperatures. Now in addition to the environment and your lifestyle, certain skin care habits may also sensitize your skin such as i) exfoliating your skin too often, ii) using harsh scrubs or chemicals that strip away your natural oils leaving your skin dry. What does sensitized skin look like?You will typically not even know you have sensitized skin until you have a bad reaction to skincare products. So what does this bad reaction look like? You will notice occasional flushing and redness of your skin it can feel itchy and flake. It may feel rough and tight even if it’s greasy at the same time. How to treat it? Luckily sensitized skin can be easily controlled, except from things like the environment and the weather. But the things that are in our control like lifestyle, diet, and a skincare routine can help the skin heal itself. If you think your skin has become sensitized, just remember to keep it simple. Be sure to take a break from physical and chemical exfoliants - the scrubs and the acids -  in order to give the skin a break and time to heal. Hydrating moisturizers will be your best friend. Restoring moisture and eventually restoring that natural lipid barrier to make skin strong and resilient again. Well that concludes our official skin tour of inflammatory skin conditions. We hope you enjoyed the ride! I just saw the other day that we have listeners from 5 continents now, and it warmed up my heart. I appreciate you being here as always. Have a great skin day. And I’ll see you in the next one.