When you meet Janice Coplin, our Senior Laser Technician at Project Skin MD, it is easy to assume that she has always had the bright, even complexion she does today. However, that is far from the case.
Janice’s skin journey has been just that – a journey. After struggling with acne in her youth, she began to experience a range of uncomfortable and challenging skin symptoms in her early 30s, which were later diagnosed as rosacea. 30 years down the line, Janice has acquired a wealth of knowledge and expertise on how to treat this difficult skin condition and is passionate about sharing it with you.
In our latest episode of IGTV, Business Director Vanessa Grutman connected with Janice to talk about her personal rosacea journey and provide a stepwise approach for how to address it. We have summarized her pearls of wisdom for you here.
1. Recognize the signs and symptoms
The first step in addressing rosacea is to recognize that what you are dealing with is, in fact, rosacea! Janice saw numerous providers and dermatologists with little success before she was finally diagnosed with the condition.
As Janice explained, rosacea can present in many ways. It most commonly starts with frequent flushing and blushing that is triggered by daily life (sun exposure, saunas, exercise, wine, spicy food etc. can all be rosacea triggers). There are two types of rosacea: dry rosacea and oily rosacea. Dry rosacea typically presents as red, irritated skin, whereas oily rosacea can cause red bumps and infected pustules on the skin as well and is typically more severe.
At Project Skin MD, a virtual consultation with one of our Skincare Advisors or physician consultation with Dr. Janet Ip can help determine if rosacea is the cause of your skin woes.
The above photo was taken prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. PPE is now worn by all our staff in clinic.
2. Establish a tailored skin care regime
Janice has mastered her rosacea home care regime, with advice on which products to use and how to use them:
Cleanser: Janice loves SkinCeuticals Simply Clean and Soothing Cleanser. She uses Simply Clean morning and night and loves its gentle exfoliating properties to remove bacteria and debris from the skin, while soothing the skin with aloe and chamomile. She uses SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser as a gentle foaming option after laser treatments, or if her skin is particularly irritated.
Vitamin C Serum: Protection from environmental aggressors with a Vitamin C serum is central to Janice’s rosacea routine. She uses both SkinCeuticals Serum 10 and Phloretin CF, and recommends you start with Serum 10 if you are new to topical Vitamin C serums. Since Janice has the oily presentation of rosacea, she is also excited to try SkinCeuticals newest Vitamin C serum, Silymarin CF! Janice applies her Vitamin C serum in the morning after cleansing, and while her skin is still damp, to pull in a little extra moisture and distribute the product evenly.
Moisturizer: Janice swears by SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3 as her moisturizer. When dealing with rosacea, it is important to use a moisturizer that is not too heavy, to avoid exacerbating the condition. Janice finds that SkinCeuticals has numerous suitable moisturizers for rosacea patients, but loves the Metacell for its star ingredient, Niacinamide (vitamin B3), which reduces redness and strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier.
Mineral Sun Protection: When dealing with rosacea, Janice emphasizes the importance of sun protection, and particularly the importance of sun protection that uses mineral filters exclusively, which reflect the sunlight and heat off the skin as opposed to absorbing it. She loves Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On SPF 50 for its light feel and easy reapplication throughout the day.
Retinol: At nighttime, Janice swaps out her Vitamin C serum and sun protection with Retinol application. To avoid irritation, she uses a “buffering technique” which consists of applying a thin layer of SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel for its soothing, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, followed by a thin layer of Metacell Renewal B3 before applying her retinol. She recommends starting with SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 before trying the Retinol 0.5 or Retinol 1.0.
#PSTip: Janice also uses a topical anti-parasitic product as a part of her regime. We recommend you speak to your provider to determine if that is the right choice for you.
3. Target redness with laser
Janice is the first to admit that it may seem counterintuitive to use lasers, which emit heat and disrupt the skin, to treat rosacea. She herself was skeptical at first, but through years of witnessing amazing success stories in her patients, followed by her own personal success, she encourages you to trust that they really do help treat rosacea!
At Project Skin MD, we have numerous laser technologies (including the VBeam® Perfecta and Excel V™) that treat redness, veins and vessels caused by rosacea. Janice typically recommends a series of 4-5 treatments for rosacea, however, your provider will be able to determine the plan that is right for you!
#PSTip: After a tailored skin care routine has been established and vascular laser program has been completed, Janice recommends considering a treatment with our Fraxel resurfacing laser! In her own experience, her flushing and blushing completely disappeared after treatment!
