Rosacea - Complementary and Alternative Treatments
Nutrition and Supplementation
Avoid saturated fats and all animal products; saturated fats promote inflammation. Also on the “no” list are alcohol, dairy products, caffeine, cheese, chocolate, cocoa, eggs, fish, salt, sugar, and spicy foods.
Improve the condition of your skin with these daily supplements:
- evening primrose oil (500 mg three times daily)-heals many skin disorders
- vitamin A (25,000 IU for 3 months, then reduce to 15,000 IU; do not exceed 8000 IU if you are pregnant)-heals and builds skin tissue
- kelp (1000 to 1500 mg)-supplies minerals needed for good skin tone
- vitamin E (start with 400 IU and increase slowly to 800 IU)-protects against free radicals
- zinc (50 mg; do not exceed a total of 100 mg from all supplements)-repairs tissue; use lozenge form
- selenium (200 mcg)-reduces inflammation
- vitamin C with bioflavonoids (3000 to 5000 mg in divided doses)-strengthens capillaries
(For an acute condition, take supplements until your symptoms subside. If symptoms persist, seek the advice of your health care provider. For a chronic condition, consult your health care provider regarding the duration of treatment.)
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture Acupuncture can be helpful in regulating blood flow and circulation, which may help tone down
ruddiness, alleviate pustules, and repair broken blood vessels. To treat rosacea, acupuncturists typically focus on the ear points related to the lung, adrenal gland, nose, and internal secretion point. In addition, they focus on the spleen and stomach meridians to keep blood in its correct place.
Acupressure The practitioner presses firmly on Large Intestine 4 and Stomach 7 and 36, which may reduce rosacea-related breakouts.
Chinese Herbal Therapy Gentiana Combination or Dang Gui and Arctium are two patent medicines that may be used to treat rosacea.
