Couperose: Which Treatment Really Helps?
Which treatment is really useful for couperose and which do’s and don’ts apply in general? Here are the most important facts.
Couperose: What is it?
The term couperose comes from the French and means translated “copper rose” or “copper fin”. It refers to dilatations of small superficial blood vessels, which are characterized by a characteristic copper-red coloration. They indicate a weakness of the connective tissue.
These dilated veins (the so-called telangiectasias) occur in the skin diseases couperosis and rosacea and are macroscopically visible dilations of superficially located smallest blood vessels (e.g. capillaries) on the skin.
Where do the red veins come from?
The fine red veins that shimmer through the skin are usually most clearly visible on the cheeks and around the nose.
The causes: Couperose is usually hereditary. But it can also be caused by intensive sunbathing, high blood pressure, alcohol or a weakness of the connective tissue – or it can be the consequence of rosacea.
This is an inflammatory skin disease whose triggers have not yet been sufficiently clarified, but which unfortunately occurs very frequently (even more frequently than neurodermatitis). Rhinophyma, a reddened, bulbous thickening of the tip of the nose, the so-called bulbous nose, is dreaded, but only occurs in the advanced stage of rosacea and mostly affects older men.
What to do for couperose?
For the skin care one should absolutely fall back on a special care, especially pharmacy cosmetics has specialized on this skin phenomenon. Pay special attention to the ingredients of the care products: Perfumed products contain essential oils that promote excessive blood flow to the fine veins.
Furthermore, the products should not contain alcohol, mineral oils and silicone oils as in case of skin susceptible to couperosis the application of an oily cream is rather counterproductive. Because such a cream forms an insulating layer which heats up the skin tissue. The red veins become even more prominent. It is rather recommended to supply the skin with sufficient moisture.
Which skin cleansing is suitable for couperose?
As a general rule, coarse peelings should not be applied to the areas affected by couperose. Enzyme peelings are a good alternative. They are particularly gentle to the skin and yet free the pores from dead skin cells. This is important so that the skin is not additionally stressed by impurities. With make-up removal products, as with all other care products, make sure that they do not contain perfume, alcohol or mineral oil and are suitable for particularly sensitive skin.
It’s glowing! SOS strategies for at home
Especially in winter many affected people know the problem: The redness increases. If you come in again after a longer stay outside, the skin of the face glows for hours. What to do?
Calming is the order of the day, but do not provoke any additional irritation of the sensitive facial skin. To soothe the skin, you can apply moist compresses daily so that the veins become narrower. Compresses with black tea, horsetail, horse chestnut or arnica strengthen the connective tissue and thus prevent the further spread of couperose. Cooling gels with mint, eucalyptus or camphor can also be a good treatment for couperose. Always pleasant: spray thermal water on the face. Special masks against redness also soothe overheated skin areas.
Note: Nothing that could provoke the skin should be included in skin care; anything that is anti-inflammatory does it good. We have compiled an overview of some recommendable products for you in our overview.
Calming is the order of the day, but do not provoke any additional irritation of the sensitive facial skin. To soothe the skin, you can apply moist compresses daily so that the veins become narrower. Compresses with black tea, horsetail, horse chestnut or arnica strengthen the connective tissue and thus prevent the further spread of couperose. Cooling gels with mint, eucalyptus or camphor can also be a good treatment for couperose. Always pleasant: spray thermal water on the face. Special masks against redness also soothe overheated skin areas.
Note: Nothing that could provoke the skin should be included in skin care; anything that is anti-inflammatory does it good. We have compiled an overview of some recommendable products for you in our overview.
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Make-up for couperose: Make-up in green
Couperose can be concealed with special green masking pins. The green make-up is dabbed onto the affected areas of skin, spread with the fingers or a soft sponge and patted into the skin. The green neutralizes the reddened areas. Then a normal foundation in the skin tone is applied over it, finally matting with powder.
Important when choosing a foundation: choose a well-covering, highly pigmented make-up that promises long lasting hold. There are also special concealing compact powders (with green pigments) that provide reliable coverage. If the redness is not so pronounced, a skin-colored dermatological face powder (some products contain rose, kidney vetch, witch hazel, black tea or silk, for example) is sufficient. If the skin is additionally irritated by products containing perfume, the concealing effect is gone.
Very important, not only in summer: Sun protection
Sunscreen products with a high sun protection factor (preferably 50) or sunblockers are important. Dermatologists even recommend never leaving home without sun protection. After all, sun can make couperose worse. Especially the overheating of the skin by direct infrared radiation of sunlight damages couperose skin. When choosing a sun cream, make sure that it does not contain essential oils or strong fragrances. Also preservatives like parabens are not appreciated by the sensitive skin. There are also sun creams with concealing green or skin-colored pigments which save the additional over-make-up.
You should avoid this with couperose
In general, coffee, tea and alcohol should be avoided, as they promote vascular changes. If you suffer from couperose, you should refrain from smoking, as nicotine constricts the blood vessels, causing blood to congestion and more and more veins to burst. Sauna visits and steam baths as well as brush massages promote reddening of the face and are therefore better avoided.
DIY facial massage treatment
Massages and strong rubbing of the reddened areas should be avoided. However, there is a special massage technique that is used in medical cosmetics. It focuses on training the vessels and can alleviate couperose with blood circulation-promoting masks and stimulation of the connective tissue. The treatment should be carried out over a period of three months, preferably once a week. From medically trained beauticians, from approx. 40 Euro.
And so you can do the Søbye massage yourself at home: It’s best to apply the day care first, then run your ring and middle finger over the affected areas in gently circling movements. Apply sometimes more, sometimes less pressure – and try not to move the skin too much. Massage each area for about 20 seconds, then switch to the next. Repeat in the evening for faster effects.