BEAUTY TRUTHS
SOURCE: rosacea.org
UNCOVERING FACT FROM FICTION
CYNTHIA NIXON: MY SKIN STORY
16
MILLION The number of Americans who suffer from rosacea.
CELEBRITIES MAY SEEM TO BE IMMUNE TO THE MORE COMMON SKIN AILMENTS AND PROBLEMS THAT AFFECT THE REST OF US, BUT, AS WE FOUND OUT, THAT’S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. BEST KNOWN FOR HER ROLE AS MIRANDA HOBBES ON SEX AND THE CITY, ACTRESS CYNTHIA NIXON CANDIDLY SHARES HER EXPERIENCES WITH ROSACEA AND HOW SHE’S LEARNED TO GET THE SKIN CONDITION UNDER CONTROL.
rosacea
BATTLE
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what is rosacea? DID YOU KNOW? Research suggests that there may be a hereditary component to rosacea although it has yet to be fully proven. Irish and English ethnicities are typically more prone to rosacea.
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NEWBEAUTY
Often confused with acne (both rosacea and acne produce bumps and pimples although with rosacea, the blemishes are more painful and blackheads don’t exist), rosacea is a condition that causes the skin to become red and bumpy. Rosacea comes and goes—certain factors instigate flare-ups—and tends to affect the cheeks, nose and forehead, but can also occur on the neck, chest, scalp and ears. If not treated properly, the skin can progressively worsen and even cause facial tissue to become extremely red, swollen and irritated. Currently, there is no cure for rosacea, but the disorder can be managed with prescription-strength topicals, oral medications, some laser and light-based treatments, controlling the trigger factors and using gentle, nonirritating products.
SUMMER 2013
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the first signs of a problem
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“I had acne as a teenager and in my 20s so when I encountered rosacea in my 30s, I thought I was breaking out again. I started using a lot of at-home scrubs, peels and drying acne products. I figured if I kept my pores clean, my skin would clear up, but it didn’t. This went on for years until I noticed a suspicious mole and saw a dermatologist. My doctor gave me the ‘I have good and bad news for you’ speech. My mole wasn’t cancerous but she noticed rosacea on my face. I had no idea what rosacea was but quickly educated myself on it.”
WHAT HER DERMATOLOGIST SAYS “Rosacea typically occurs in the center of the face with overall redness, pimple-like bumps and even small blood vessels. Unlike rosacea, acne is found on the chin and jawline and typically there are clogged pores or blackheads,” says New York dermatologist Rosemarie Ingleton, MD, who treats Cynthia. “Cynthia thought that her bumps and redness were acne. She was using anti-acne products that were too irritating and making her skin worse.”
PHOTOGRAPHER: STEVEN SEBRING
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