Chronic redness? What you think is a major breakout could actually be diagnosed as rosacea, a skin condition that affects over 16 million Americans!

Super sensitive skin and redness can be a pain, but it's always better to know what you're dealing with and have a proper diagnosis.

We tapped Dr. Bruce Katz, Director of the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Clinic at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Director of the Juva Skin & Laser Center in New York to get a professional approach and opinion on how best to deal with rosacea. 

So what exactly are the causes? "Even thought the exact cause of rosacea is still unknown, the basic process involves the inflammation of the servacious glands," Dr. Katz explained.

"Some triggers of rosacea include extremes in weather, exercise, and hot beverages. Pretty much anything that causes the blood vessels to dilate."

Is it rosacea or is it acne?  "Rosacea has many different subtypes, persistent facial redness with bumps and pimples is classified as Subtype 2 rosacea," the expert said." Although the two may look similar, acne has a different underlying cause and needs to be treated differently."

What to use to treat rosacea? Dr. Katz recommended Mirvaso. Mirvaso is a prescribed topical gel that contains the drug brimonidine, which works on the persistent redness of rosacea by constricting facial blood vessel walls to lessen blood flow, so skin appears less red.

And now for the big questions: What about your skin care and makeup routine if you have rosacea?

"Gentle skin care and with the right choice of makeup, you can make a visible difference in managing your rosacea," Dr. Katz reassured.

"The key is to use products that are made for sensitive skin or skin with rosacea. Be on the look out for specific ingredients that target rosacea."

"Examples of this are alcohol, witch hazel, and fragrance. Testing a product out on another part of your body before putting it on your face is a good indicator of what your facial skin's reaction will be to the product," the doc instructed.

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