rosacea

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What is Couperose?

From an ancient Latin word, "couperose" refers to "pink cupri": a skin lesion that mostly affects the face, where reddish spots are appreciated following the dilation of the blood capillaries. This intense and general redness is caused precisely by the anomalous dilation of the small blood vessels, which constitute a lattice made more or less evident by the stagnation of blood.

Couperose is more commonly known with the term "copparosa", to indicate a skin imperfection that is found at the level of the cheeks, between the cheekbones and the wings of the nose, taking on a particular aspect with butterfly wings.

Couperose is not recognized as a pathological problem, but rather as a cosmetic and aesthetic disorder.

Incidence

Couperose is a disorder that occurs with a higher incidence in women over 30 years of age, but is not a problem exclusively for women. In fact, even the males can find the same problem that occurs with an incidence of 20%.

Furthermore, couperose tends to manifest itself more in those individuals who in themselves possess a thin, sensitive and easily irritated skin.

Symptoms

To learn more: Couperose symptoms

From the diagnostic point of view, couperose is recognized as a skin lesion that presents with widespread microteleangectasias, linked to the excessive porosity and fragility of the capillaries, which not only lose elasticity, but undergo a dilation such as to paint the face with spots and veins decidedly unsightly reddish localized at the level of the cheeks, cheekbones and wings of the nose.

Another symptom that characterizes people suffering from couperose is the feeling of strong heat that is released in the areas affected by the disorder. This symptom is particularly intense in the case of strong emotions and / or temperature changes.

Evolution

Characteristics, evolution and complications of Couperose

Couperose can be considered the final stage of an evolution of inflammatory processes, which from a transient condition is cemented into a chronic and stable phenomenon: in fact, if at the beginning the facial erythrosis (or reddening of the face) only occasionally manifests itself for then disappear, as time passes this condition tends to occur with increasing frequency. In doing so, the capillaries lose elasticity and expand permanently, becoming visible until the formation of that lattice that has become the symbol and digital imprint of couperose.

Furthermore, although it is considered as a purely aesthetic disorder, couperose should not be underestimated, due to the fact that it can develop into a more serious dermatological manifestation, known as rosacea (or acne rosacea), a chronic disorder affecting the skin, particularly cheeks, forehead and nose, causing papules, pustules and spider veins (dilation of small blood vessels with vascular lesions), following inflammation of hair follicles.

Causes

Causes and risk factors for Couperose

Experts cannot find a specific cause that triggers the subject of this article; the etiological research, in fact, ranges in very vast areas, being the multiple and very different causes.

In addition to the genetic predisposition to the development of the disorder, a possible triggering cause is represented by hormonal dysfunctions: the level of corticosteroids in the blood tends to be higher in people suffering from couperose, so much so that the problem is often consequent to chronic therapies with cortisone.

Also frequent and prolonged exposure to climatic variations, solar radiations, cold, humidity and wind contribute to the alteration at the level of the sub-epidermal microcirculation: precisely for this reason the couperose could manifest itself above all among farmers, cooks or people whose employment leads at consistent temperature variations.

Furthermore, there are several factors that can favor or worsen the clinical manifestations of couperose, among which we find:

The excess of alcohol that - associated with intestinal and hepatic dysfunctions - can aggravate the alteration in the microcirculation, due to the repeated release of toxic substances.
Emotional factors, with the consequent release of substances similar to histamine, which can show couperose more, being endowed with vasodilating action.
Some situations of vitamin deficiency, in particular vitamin C and vitamin PP avitaminosi / hypovitaminosi that can highlight the redness of the capillaries at the face level.
Overeating, exciting foods and excessive consumption of spices that can facilitate the onset of couperose.

Treatment

Generally speaking, couperose treatment remains purely aesthetic. However, in the most serious cases and in cases where there is an evolution of rosacea in couperose, the doctor may decide to prescribe drug therapy to the patient and / or may recommend the use of dermo-aesthetic medicine treatments.

Medical and pharmacological treatments

As mentioned, where the cause of couperose falls into liver, gastric or endocrine problems and in cases where couperose becomes complicated in acne rosacea, the problem will no longer be of an aesthetic nature, but will become of medical competence.

The dermatologist will then be able to advise the patient the most appropriate treatment to eradicate the underlying problem. Later, the expert will tend to recommend the use of creams with anti-inflammatory and disinfectant action.

Finally, only if absolutely necessary, the doctor can direct the patient to a laser or diathermocoagulation treatment to definitively eliminate couperose.

Cosmetic treatments

As is known, based on Italian health legislation, cosmetic products used in the treatment of couperose cannot act directly on circulation, because, by definition, a cosmetic has no therapeutic potential.

The cosmetics used in the treatment of couperose, therefore, will have to contain ingredients capable of exerting a soothing, anti-inflammatory and anti-reddening action. In this regard, natural remedies are particularly useful. Cosmetics prepared with thermal waters with a soothing action for inflamed and reddened skin are also particularly useful.

Natural remedies

To alleviate the typical symptoms of couperose, an experienced herbalist must be able to recommend a cream that is adequate to the patient's needs. Considering that couperose is characterized by capillary fragility and sensitivity, all those plants that can exert a positive action at the level of the microcirculation (called capillarotropes) must be considered, stimulating their circulation and calming local inflammation.

Chamomile, in a cosmetic anti-couperose cream, acts thanks to the soothing and anti-reddening properties conferred by bisabolol and azulene; also the calendula, the mallow and the glycyrrhetic acid of licorice are configured as possible natural remedies, thanks to their decongestant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Furthermore, plants such as centella asiatica, ruscus, bilberry, and horse-chestnut (saponin drugs), stimulate subcutaneous microcirculation, thereby reducing edema and swelling.

Please note

It should be remembered that couperose is first and foremost a vascular problem: consequently, a cosmetic product can never go to solve the problem definitively, but only contribute to avoiding its worsening.

Prevention

Prevention is essential to prevent chronic rosacea and couperose.

First of all, it would be a good idea to adopt general measures in a preventive perspective: the adoption of a healthy and regular lifestyle, an adequate diet, poor in alcohol and coffee, can be of particular help in preventing the onset of microteleangectasias . Irritating and aggressive cosmetics, which damage the skin and cause sensitization, are also not recommended.

Furthermore, the skin should always be protected from UV radiation, cold and excessive heat, since these atmospheric agents are all capable of causing a serious deterioration in the clinical manifestations of couperose.