As a dermatologist, I encounter scenes like this every day in outpatient clinics. The patient points to the recurring red spots and "little pimples" on his face and asks with confusion: "Doctor, is this an allergy or an acne?" In fact, the answer is most likely a "rose with thorns", which is rosacea.
The name sounds romantic, but it has troubled countless people.
There is such a disease, which is essentially an inflammatory skin disease that occurs in the middle part of the face, such as the cheekbones, nose, and forehead. It is an inflammatory skin disease with chronic characteristics. Its core manifestations are mainly "two reds and one prick", which is recurring flushing, persistent erythema, and a lingering, burning tingling sensation no matter what.
Many people mistakenly believe that it will only evolve into "rosacea". In fact, only about 5% of patients actually suffer from nasal hyperplasia. The vast majority of people suffer from flushing and papules and pustules on the cheeks.
However, today, we focus on the following issue, which is of concern to almost all patients and is extremely easy to fall into. Even in the daily diet, which foods can quietly have an adverse impact on the face like an explosion?
Why diet is the "trigger" for rosacea
To understand the list of taboos, you must first understand rosacea Where is the core root cause of the problem?
The mechanism of its onset is quite complex and is the result of the combined effects of genetics, neurovascular abnormalities, immune disorders, and external stimulation.
in, neurovascular hyperresponsiveness This characteristic has a lot to do with diet.
To put it simply, the blood vessels on your face are like an overly sensitive "thermometer". Once stimulated by certain food ingredients, the nerve endings will release neuropeptides such as substance P, directly commanding the blood vessels to expand, and at the same time trigger a series of inflammatory reactions.
This is what happens to many people after eating hot pot or drinking a glass of mulled wine. Their faces suddenly turn as red as Guan Gong, accompanied by an obvious burning sensation and itching.
Therefore, controlling the behavior of the mouth is not to exaggerate small problems, but to reduce the "stress characteristics" of blood vessels from the source, so that the skin can reduce the number of "disasters that come for no reason."
Spicy food: the most direct "blushing accelerator"
In the outpatient clinic, the first thing I tell patients to quit is spicy food .
The capsaicin contained in the chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger and garlic placed in the condiments will directly activate the TRPV1 channel of the temperature receptor in the mouth and face, which is like giving an "expansion command" to your facial blood vessels.
Many patients confided to me that they only ate a plate of boiled fish at night, but the erythema on their cheeks worsened significantly the next morning, and patches of tiny pustules appeared.
In addition to the spiciness, Hot drinks Equally dangerous.
A cup of hot tea, a bowl of hot soup, or a cup of hot coffee, even if it is not spicy in itself, will cause blood vessels to expand rapidly due to the high temperature.
It is recommended for all patients with rosacea to bring food and drinks into the mouth to a state close to body temperature before eating. Such a small change can usually keep the skin in a stable condition for up to half a month.
Alcohol and caffeinated drinks: hidden “vasodilators”
Alcohol is definitely rosacea There is a “minefield” in which patients need to be highly vigilant.
Whether it is red wine, white wine, or beer, the acetaldehyde generated by alcohol metabolism will powerfully expand the facial capillaries into a widened state, and this series of widened states is often continuous.
Many patients have noticed that after each drink, the flushing on their cheeks can last for several hours or even throughout the day.
What’s even more troublesome is that red wine contains resveratrol and histamine, both of which have the ability to induce inflammation, which is equivalent to a “double blow” to the skin.
You also need to be careful caffeine .
Caffeine itself has the effect of constricting blood vessels. However, the stimulation caused by the high temperature of hot coffee and the excitatory effect of caffeine on the nervous system still have negative effects for many patients.
If you're really craving it, try some cold decaffeinated coffee and pay close attention to how your skin reacts.
High histamine and fermented foods: an easily overlooked “trap”
Many patients think that as long as they don't eat spicy food and don't drink alcohol, everything will be fine. However, in the end they still experience flushing for no reason. At this time, they need to check for high histamine foods.
Histamine is a naturally occurring inflammatory mediator in the human body. However, there are some foods that contain large amounts of histamine themselves, or these foods can stimulate the body and prompt the body to release histamine.
Typical examples include pickled foods, such as kimchi and pickles, aged cheese, fermented soy products, such as fermented bean curd and tempeh, and vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, and spinach.
In addition, there are some foods, which are fish with a relatively long shelf life, especially tuna and mackerel, as well as processed meat products, such as sausages and bacon, which are all high-histamine foods.
Many patients reported that after stopping these foods, the unexplained burning sensation and tightness on the face were significantly reduced.
You can consider trying a "low histamine diet" for two weeks to see if there is any substantial change in the condition of your skin.
High sugar and dairy products: the driving force behind acne-like skin lesions
If your rosacea appears in the form of papules and pustules (this is the papulopustular type), then high-sugar foods and dairy products are most likely the driving factors behind the continuous appearance of "little pimples" on your face.
Desserts with high sugar content will rapidly increase blood sugar, stimulate the secretion of insulin-like growth factors, thereby promoting the secretion of sebaceous glands and triggering an inflammatory response. The same situation occurs with milk tea and sugary drinks.
Many studies have confirmed that there is a link between skim milk and the exacerbation of papules and pustules in acne and rosacea. It can be speculated that this may be due to the specific proteins in skim milk that can promote inflammation.
It is recommended to replace these foods with low-glycemic whole grains, legumes and plenty of vegetables.
If you really like drinking milk, you might as well try sugar-free almond milk or sugar-free oat milk, and then observe for a few weeks to see if the skin lesions are reduced.
Scientific taboos do not mean “you can’t eat anything”
Having mentioned so many taboos, be sure not to let yourself get into a situation where you don’t eat anything. You will end up with nutritional deficiencies and depression, which may be aggravated by excessive stress.
The scientific management method is "Record-Verify-Adjust" .
Prepare a food diary and write down what you eat and how your skin is doing every day.
If you notice that your symptoms worsen significantly within 24 hours after eating a certain type of food, add it to the "suspect list" and then suspend it for two weeks.
After another two weeks, try eating it again. If it also triggers symptoms, it is basically certain that it is your personal trigger.
Not everyone's food sensitivities are exactly the same. Some people react very strongly to peppers, while others are more sensitive to tomatoes.
In addition to taboos, don’t forget to use medical skin care products to repair the skin barrier, as well as strict physical sun protection.
Wear a hat, use a mask, use a sun umbrella, and apply sunscreen with SPF30 or above. In this way, you can control this "thorny rose" from all aspects.
The core concept of dietary management for rosacea is to "do subtraction". You must first avoid the most obvious high-risk foods, and then find your own unique triggers through careful observation.
You don’t need to eat “cooked vegetables” all your life, but you do need to be more patient and careful.
Adopt dietary taboos in a scientific way, use standardized methods to treat, and keep your emotions in a relaxed state. Combine these three with each other, and the "rose" that once brought a tingling feeling to your life in the past will eventually slowly put away its thorns.
