GETTING RID OF REDNESS IN THE FACE

Published July 31, 2023 

Redness in the face can be a source of major distress. Whether caused by shyness or a more serious underlying skin condition, redness is very hard to hide and can have a significant impact on quality of life.

So how do you tell what “kind” of redness you have? Which treatments are most effective in getting rid of it or diminishing its severity? 

In this article, Laboratoires FILORGA's experts tell you everything you need to know about unwelcome redness in the face.

THE VARIOUS FORMS OF REDNESS IN THE FACE

Redness in the face (also known as facial erythema, erythrosis, and rosacea) is most commonly experienced by people with fair skin. It happens due to dilation of the blood vessels located in the dermis, just below the epidermis, of varying intensity and duration 

Redness can either affect the whole face or a very specific area, such as the cheeks, nose, or forehead. In such cases, it appears as patches or blotches. Itchiness is also a common problem.

Not all kinds of redness in the face are alike in terms of how bad they are or how long they last. Some can be very mild and only last for a short time, while others can be quite severe and last for days, weeks, or even months.

WHAT CAUSES REDNESS IN THE FACE?

Its root causes and symptoms are not all the same. 

When people talk about “redness in the face”, they often mean blushing, which is a reaction we have due to emotion or feelings of shyness when embarrassed (like when faced with speaking in public). Our faces can also become flushed after physical exertion, as our blood circulation increases and we need to dissipate the heat produced by our bodies. Lastly, spicy, hot, or alcoholic food or drink can also make our faces go red.

This kind of flushing happens to everyone and usually doesn't last long, so it's nothing to worry about.

However, some types of redness can indicate issues or even illnesses that may need to be monitored and treated. These include, for example:

- Allergic reactions. Red blotches can appear on the face after coming into contact with or ingesting an allergen. The severity of such reactions depends on the type of allergy and the person concerned.

- Inflammation. This is a broad term used to describe the body's reaction to a pathogen or foreign body. Inflammation is a necessary process that serves to eliminate such contaminants and allow healing. As long as it doesn't last, there is nothing to worry about. That being said, it is often associated with redness and itching, which can be distressing.

- Hormonal fluctuations, such as menopausal hot flushes.

- Dehydration. The face is constantly subjected to external stresses like the cold, the wind, or pollution. Such factors can accelerate the evaporation of moisture from the skin and cause redness.

- Psoriasis. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by flare-ups of red, peeling, itchy patches (the medical term is “desquamation”) that are extremely itchy. It is often hereditary, and its symptoms are the result of excessive skin cell turnover.

Last but not least, a very familiar type of redness is sunburn, which is an inflammatory reaction resulting from excessive exposure to UV radiation.

DEALING WITH REDNESS IN THE FACE

Medical treatment may be required depending on the cause. In such cases, your doctor will need to recommend the appropriate medicine.

However (although not a substitute for medical recommendations), cosmetic treatments can usually help to reduce or relieve redness on the skin.

The first step is to clean the skin with a very mild product like our AGE-PURIFY CLEAN. 

The second is to choose skincare treatments that contain soothing ingredients and are suitable for your skin type. The experts at Laboratoires FILORGA have drawn up this selection of products as a guide:

- MESO-MASK: This rich, creamy mask contains rhamnose, a soothing compound that alleviates inflammatory skin reactions and reduces redness.

- LIFT-STRUCTURE RADIANCE contains Centella asiatica extract, which reduces vasodilation and bolsters capillary health to reduce redness.

- Products from the AGE-PURIFY collection reduce inflammation-induced redness by means of two potent purifying compounds: zinc and annatto extract.