What Is Couperose Skin: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

What Is Couperose Skin?

Couperose skin is a skin condition that is caused by the weakening of the blood vessels of the face and affects especially the cheek and nose.

It is a French word for chronic inflammatory skin disorder rosacea. Rosacea is a common skin condition among fair skin people. It is observed that between 2 to 22 percent of people with fair skin have rosacea⁽¹⁾.

What Is Couperose Skin?

Couperose skin occurs when the skin responds to heat, cold or different emotions or stimulants (such as alcohol). It responds by dilating the blood vessels of the face, increasing the blood flow, and then closing them when needed. Weakness in these blood vessels can lead to a struggle in closing causing redness.

Causes of Couperose Skin

Causes of couperose skin are not fully known but certain risk factors can lead to this appearance of the skin.

Stress
Menopause
Abrupt temperature change
Tobacco and alcohol
Heightened emotions
Certain cosmetic products
Consumption of corticosteroids
Sunburn
Gender (females are more prone to couperose skin⁽²⁾

Symptoms of Couperose Skin

Couperose skin is more common in females with light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes⁽²⁾.

Symptoms experienced by those suffering from couperose skin are:

Sensitive skin
Visible blood vessels
Facial redness and flushing
Burning and stinging skin
Dry, irritated, and swollen eyes
Pimples and pustules
Thickening of the skin on the nose

Couperose Skin Vs Rosacea

Couperose is a French word for rosacea. Both are synonyms and refer to a chronic inflammatory skin condition. The other symptoms are acne rosacea, facial erythrosis, copparosa, Kupferfinne.

Treatment For Couperose Skin

As there is no treatment for rosacea, the focus is on managing symptoms.

If suffering from couperose skin, it is always better to consult a doctor to rule out other similar conditions such as eczema or lupus.

1. Avoid Triggers

Triggers that might cause a flare-up of couperose skin should be avoided. This can help minimize the symptoms.

Red wine, spicy foods, UV light, and alcohol are common triggers of this condition.

2. Skin Cream And Gels

In mild to moderate cases, doctors might recommend one of the several creams and gels that can be applied to the face.

Brimonidine, azelaic acid, and metronidazole are commonly recommended creams.

These have to be applied frequently. The effect of brimonidine is known to last up to 12 hours⁽³⁾.

3. Pulsed Light Therapy

Pulsed light therapy is a type of laser that is used to shrink blood vessels.

In one to three treatments 50-75 percent reduction is visible⁽⁴⁾. The results last from 3-5 years.

Pulsed light therapy has a mild side effect that includes temporary redness, loss of skin color, and bruising.

4. Acne Medication

If pimples and pustules occur and they are responding to gentle cleansers, the doctor may recommend oral antibiotics and other acne medications.

The oral antibiotics may kill the acne on the skin and reduce inflammation.

5. Kanuka Honey

Honey is known for its anti-inflammatory effects and can help manage the symptoms of Couperose skin.

A trial conducted to find the effect of honey on rosacea treatment found that after 8 weeks of applying Kanuka honey, people had significant improvement in the symptoms as compared to those given placebo.

Couperose is a synonym of rosacea that is a common inflammatory skin condition that can lead to redness on the face, visible blood vessels, and sensitive skin. The condition can be prevented by avoiding abrupt temperature changes and moisturizing the skin properly.

There are other similar conditions to Couperose syndrome which is why it is important to consult a doctor to get appropriate treatment.

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What Is Couperose Skin: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments