Heal Red Skin

The skin is the body's largest organ. Since it functions to protect us from pathogens and water loss, skin is affected by numerous factors, including what we eat and consume and what type of elements we're exposed to. The most common cause of red skin is rosacea, a chronic skin condition that can be triggered by many things, such as exposure to heat, sun, certain foods or alcohol. Skin can also become red due to symptoms of psoriasis, eczema, or from overexposure to sun or dry weather. Use the following treatments to solve a host of red skin problems.

Steps

Healing Dry, Red Skin

1. Hydrate your skin. Redness from dry skin will significantly decrease if you keep your body hydrated. Drink at least 8, 8-oz. (0.23 l) glasses of water a day.
2. Prevent redness with a sunscreen lotion. Look for sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Apply sunscreen daily.
3. Apply moisturizer several times a day. Apply when getting out of the shower and after washing hands. For people with severely dry skin, you may also have to apply moisturizer at select intervals. Look for the following ingredients when shopping for a good moisturizer:
   • Ceramides. Assists in water retention and redness relief.
   • Dimethicone and glycerin. These both draw water closer to the skin.
   • Hyaluronic acid. Similar to ceramides, hyaluronic acid assists in water retention.
   • Lanolin, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly (petrolatum). These ingredients help the skin retain moisture imparted during bathing.
4. Give the long, hot showers a rest. Prolonged exposure to really warm water can sap your skin of essential oils and moisture, leaving you dry, scaly, and possibly red. Limit yourself to warm showers that last for no longer than 10 minutes.
   • Take an oatmeal bath. Oatmeal helps calm irritated skin, and is a proven remedy for redness caused by such things as poison oak and chickenpox. Use edible oatmeal or store-bought oatmeal baths — whichever is more convenient.
5. Bathe only with unscented, organic soaps. Throw away all your perfumed and colored soaps that could be causing dryness and irritation. Instead, opt for superfatted soap whose main ingredients are shea and cocoa butter.
6. Avoid contact with chemicals. Exposure to chemicals such as bleach, hair coloring or other chemical solvents can create red skin on contact.
7. Use common sense. Ask yourself a couple of questions before you consult your doctor. An examination of your recent past should do the trick:
   • Did you start using any new products lately? If beginning a course of acne treatments for example, especially retinoids, these could be contributing to your redness.
   • Did you pick at or irritate the skin yourself? Did you over-exfoliate your skin? As a general rule, the less contact your skin gets with dirt, grime, and oil, the better.
8. Use other gels and creams with healing properties. There are a lot of creams and gels out there that purport to help with redness relief, but two stick as being time-honored and tested:
   • Hydrocortisone cream. Usually applied one to four times a day, hydrocortisone is a proven remedy for dryness, itching, and redness of the skin.
   • Aloe-vera gel. Aloe-vera gel is often used in topical form to help soothe redness by fighting inflammation. Aloe-vera soothes irritated skin as well.

Treating Reduce Rosacea

1. Start with topical medication. Symptoms of rosacea, which usually present on the face, can include constant red splotches, intermittent blushing and small red bumps or blood vessels. If you think you may have rosacea, talk to your doctor about the following topical medications:
   • Topical antibiotics, including medications with metronidazole (Metrocream, Metrogel)
   • Topical tretinoins (Atralin, Renova)
   • Topical peels, including medications with benzoyl peroxide and azelaic acid (Azelex, Finacea)
2. Talk to your doctor about taking oral antibiotics. Oral antibiotics are used to treat rosacea because they reduce inflammation and redness quicker than topical antibiotics. Oral antibiotics include tetracycline, minocycline and erythromycin, although they can have serious side-effects like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
3. If all else fails, talk to your doctor about isotretinoin (Accutane). Isotretinoin is a powerful oral medication used in acne and rosacea patients whose conditions don't respond to other medicines. Because of its strength and its association with depression, skin rashes, and joint pain, patients taking Accutane must be closely monitored by their doctor.
4. Take precautions to help prevent rosacea. While rosacea is usually chronic, steps to help prevent its onset can be taken. The most common things to avoid are exposure to sun and wind, emotional stress, heavy exercise, hot or cold weather and alcohol consumption.

Treating Control Psoriasis

1. Apply topical creams and ointments to psoriasis. While psoriasis can be chronic like rosacea, it can be controlled with the use of creams and other topical treatments. Topical creams and ointments can reduce the visibility of psoriasis significantly.
   • Use salicylic acid. Salicylic acid works by regulating the shedding of psoriatic scales, although too much salicylic acid over too large an area can lead to nasty side-effects.
   • Try steroidal ointments. Steroidal ointments are remarkably effective in decreasing inflammation, relieving itching, and halting the overproduction of psoriatic cells. Steroidal ointments are the gold standard of psoriasis treatment.
   • Use calcipotriene. Calcipotriene, related to vitamin D, is also effective in treating psoriasis, particularly if combined with corticosteroids. Use only in moderation, however.
   • Try retinoids. Retinoids contain a synthetic version of vitamin A, but are overall less effective and slower than some steroidal ointments.
2. Talk to your doctor about phototherapy. Phototherapy, or light therapy, in combination with topical ointments to deliver light to the skin where symptoms are present. Patients usually receive light therapy three times a week for three months. This combination method has been proven to be effective and preferable by patients in numerous studies, although it comes with an increased risk of skin cancer.
3. Try certain oral medications. Oral medications can be taken in tandem with topical medications to halt the overproduction and skin cells, which is emblematic of psoriasis. These oral medications include:
   • Methotrexate. Although this is a chemotherapy drug, methotrexate has been shown to produce dramatic turnarounds in patients with psoriasis. Because it can cause significant side-effects, blood tests need to be administered regularly by any consulting doctor.
   • Oral retinoids. Oral retinoids, like topical retinoids, contain a synthetic variant of vitamin E. For women, however, these medications need to be taken in combination with birth control for three years after initial treatment because of possible birth defects.
4. Try other natural remedies for psoriasis. Although scientifically verified medicines are often the most effective treatment options for people with psoriasis, natural remedies may provide certain benefits. Try the following:
   • Aloe-vera. Aloe-vera performed slightly better than a placebo in a medical test measuring psoriasis treatment.
   • Fish oil. Taken orally, daily fish oil supplements may provide some relief of symptoms.
   • Bath solutions. Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, oatmeal baths, and mineral oils can be mixed in a bath for a full-body treatment.
   • Cayenne pepper. Capsaicin, which gives the pepper its distinctive heat, is also used in many analgesics. Capsaicin applied to the skin may help reduce itching and skin lesions in people with psoriasis.

Treating Eczema

1. Reduce your stress. Like acne, eczema outbreaks are routinely affected by stress. Lower your overall stress levels and find healthy outlets for your stress.
2. Use hydrocortisone and steroid creams. Used mostly for mild eczema, OTC hydrocortisone creams may be helpful in relieving redness and itching for some people. For more severe cases, steroidal creams may be necessary.
3. Try one of several oral medications. The oral medications that are currently used by doctors to treat more severe kinds of eczema include:
   • Oral antihistamines. Many antihistamines, such as Benadryl, can be found OTC.
   • Corticosteroids. Taken primarily if other treatments fail, corticosteroids must be taken under strict supervision of your doctor. Always follow instructions exactly with medicines such as these.
4. Try phototherapy. Light therapy does help people suffering from more severe kinds of eczema. Doctors use ultraviolet light to slow the production of skin cells, resulting in less redness.

Treating a Sunburn

1. Cool the area of the sunburn to alleviate redness. Apply a cool washcloth to the skin and leave it in place until it becomes room temperature. Repeat if necessary.
2. Take frequent cool showers or baths. Soaking in a cool bath will help alleviate redness as well as pain from a sunburn.
3. Apply aloe-vera and/or hydrocortisone. Use pure aloe vera topically as needed, or a lotion containing aloe vera. 1% hydrocortisone cream may also be used topically. Avoid other lotions, as their ingredients may hold more heat in the skin, causing redness to remain.
4. Try any one of several unverified home remedies. Treating redness from a sunburn takes time (and aloe-vera), but these unverified home remedies might help, too:
   • Witch hazel
   • Vinegar (mixed half and half with water)
   • Calendula ointment
   • Wet tea bag

Tips

• Keeping your skin moisturized can help prevent it from drying. Choose a good, all natural moisturizer. Refrain from using ones with chemicals in it.
• Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that can reoccur frequently. However, many people who remain on medical treatment for more than 2 years may lose the appearance of red skin.

Warnings

• To avoid allergic reactions, do not use hydrocortisone cream on children under the age of 2 unless advised by a doctor.
• Do not use hydrocortisone cream in the rectal or vaginal area.

Things You'll Need

• Washcloth
• Aloe vera
• Hydrocortisone
• Sunscreen
• Oatmeal body wash/oatmeal

Sources and Citations

• http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/skin-conditions-rosacea?page=2
• http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/skin-problems-psoriasis-treatment
• http://www.psoriasis.org/sublearn03_mild_nonsteroid
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001470/

See also

• Care for Your Face (Males)
• Heal Raw Skin
• Use a Glycolic Acid Peel
• Know if Sunscreen Has Expired
• Heal over Exfoliated Skin
• Wear a Face Shield
• Stop Hard Water from Ruining Your Skin
• Choose a Natural Sunscreen
• Wear Makeup when You Have Eczema
• Make a Charcoal Peel‐Off Facial Mask

Read more ...

What links here

• Get Rid of Redness on the Face
• Get Nice Skin