There are times when your complexion can leave you feeling 'red in the face', not due to embarrassment but because you have skin that is prone to flushing up, or because your skin is thin and reactive, or even because you have a fine tracing of little broken capillaries, or a medical condition that needs treating. Whatever the cause, the result is the same: you are left looking as red as a beacon and as conspicuous as a clown at a funeral. One of the biggest problems is that redness is very difficult to cover up, and if you manage to get it covered, it's hard to keep it hidden. Let's have a look at a couple of different types of redness and see what can be done to help disguise the symptoms.
The causes
Redness can have a great many causes. One is simply having thin skin which allows the lacy circulatory system to be seen. This sort of redness can be exacerbated by certain conditions such as extremes of temperature, alcohol, spicy food and stress. If you are not careful with this type of skin you can end up with little broken capillaries that will not entirely disappear when the initial flush is over. If you have been subjected to extreme conditions on a regular basis, for example, you may find that you have permanently reddened skin.
Another form of redness is 'touch sensitivity'. You will know if this applies because you go red whenever you touch or manipulate your skin. Exfoliating, washing, even applying a moisturiser or foundation, will cause redness to spread across the skin and stay for anywhere up to 15 minutes. The difficulty with this is if you go red when are applying foundation you never know how much coverage you will need when the redness goes away.
The other increasingly prevalent cause of redness is a medical condition called Rosecea. This is caused by an excess of natural mites, which occur naturally on the skin, and some people suffer from a more extreme version where little 'spots' will appear within the redness. These can itch and look rough and bumpy, but they don't usually form a head, and if they do, it is only a small whitehead.
The cures - medical
Both Rosecea and Acne Rosecea are treatable with topical, and occasionally, oral antibiotics. They are as safe as taking any sort of medicine can be and doctors are becoming very good at both recognising and treating the condition. Some of the most common treatments are Metrogel, Metrocream, and Rosex. If you suspect that you might have Rosecea make an appointment to see your GP and explain your symptoms. This condition is cyclic, so you can expect that it will come and go in waves that can be brought on by external factors like stress.
The other popular medical treatment for permanent redness is laser. Again, it's a relatively simple procedure that will help to collapse the little capillaries so they can't fill with blood. There are several forms of this treatment and the best idea is to have a consultation with a laser specialist like Lasercare to see if you are a good candidate. It is not terrifically expensive and feels a bit like you are being gently, but repeatedly, snapped with a rubber band. Who said being beautiful was painless? These capillaries can also be collapsed with a procedure very like electrolysis. This is usually more effective for skin that has just a few larger broken capillaries.
The cures - skincare
One of the most important things to do from a skincare point of view is to not be 'aggressive' with your skin. So, if scrubbing makes you go really red for any length of time, you need to find a different way to exfoliate. You should also try to avoid using water that's too hot when you wash your face.
Another thing to be aware of is that some of the resurfacing ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, Retinols, glycolic and salicylic acids may cause skin to redden temporarily and can even make your skin tender and sensitive. This is not the case with all of these products, but it is better to be safe than sorry, so if you want to use this type of product, get a sample first.
Several companies produce product ranges that can actually help to make the skin less sensitive. Some products will help while you are reacting, such as Clinique Exceptionally Soothing Skin Cream and Lotion, while other products, from brands such as La Prairie and Natura Bissé, will work long-term to help the skin to become less sensitive and reactive.
The cures - cosmetic
When all else fails, you will have to settle for covering the redness up by using colour correcting products, foundations, powders, and concealers. Most colour correctors are used under your foundation, but they can leave your skin resembling cement, so you then need to use a really heavy foundation to cover this up, and you end up feeling you may as well have used a trowel in the first place! An exception is a great product from Shiseido called Colour Control Stick. It is a slightly green foundation stick that you touch over the top of your foundation to cancel out the redness, and it can be reapplied during the day if the red starts sneaking through. It can also be used as a kind of insurance policy for people who are prone to redness - you can apply it just incase you redden and it will cover you.
When it comes to foundation try to get something that allows you to adjust the cover so you don't have full coverage in places it is not needed. This will give a more natural look. Apply thin layers of foundation until you cannot achieve a more even appearance, and only then apply a concealer over the top. Concealer should always be the last resort and you need to get a good colour match for your skin, so choose a product with a good range of shades. Becca is a great choice with a selection of 30 sticks and 34 compact concealers.
