Heal Rosacea — A Root‑Cause Plan (By Maria Lucey)

higherhealthwellness
Oct 17
5 min read

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that primarily affects the face.

Hello beautiful soul,

If you’ve been waging a long, exhausting battle with rosacea — trying pill after pill, cream after cream, being shuffled between specialists who treat only symptoms — I see you. You deserve better. You deserve clear, calm, confident skin again.

My name is Maria Lucey, and I’m a Functional Medicine Nutritionist, Health and Natural Beauty Therapist. I’m here to walk with you, step by step, to heal rosacea from the inside out — addressing root causes, not just slapping on bandaids. This is your invitation to rediscover your glow.

What Rosacea Looks and Feels Like (And Why It's So Frustrating)

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that primarily affects the face. Because of its varied presentation and triggers, it often feels impossible to “fix.”

Common signs include:

Facial flushing or blushing, and persistent redness
Broken capillaries (telangiectasia) and visibly enlarged blood vessels
Small yellow or pus‑like whiteheads (acne‑like bumps)
Red bumps, stinging or burning sensations
Patches of dry or sensitive skin
Eye irritation, dryness, or lid inflammation
Occasionally scalp or hairline irritation

Often it shows up between ages 35 and 50 — a time when hormonal changes, metabolism shifts, and immune fluctuations make skin more vulnerable. Many women assume their “acne days” are behind them, so the appearance of rosacea feels like betrayal.

What makes it more painful is that conventional medicine often treats only the surface: topical creams, antibiotics, lasers, and redness suppressants. These can help temporarily — but if the root causes are unaddressed, flareups persist, rebound, or worsen over time.

Why Rosacea Happens: The Functional Medicine Lens

In my work, I don’t settle for “that’s just your skin.” I dig deeper. Rosacea almost always arises from multiple, interacting internal issues, not a single culprit. Here are the major underlying drivers I explore with my clients — the richer your testing, the more targeted and effective our plan will be:

1. Gut Dysbiosis, SIBO & Microbial Imbalance

The gut–skin axis is a powerful pathway: when your gut microbiome is off balance, you get systemic inflammation, immune activation, leaky gut, and toxins that may travel and irritate skin.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is strongly linked to skin disorders — if bacteria overflow into the small intestine, they can produce metabolites, drive inflammation, alter bile acids, and impact nutrient absorption.
Imbalanced gut flora can reduce short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate) that normally preserve your intestinal barrier, meaning more “leaks” of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, or LPS) into your bloodstream, fueling chronic inflammation.

2. Immune Dysregulation & Chronic Inflammation

Rosacea skin often shows signs of an overactive innate immune response — excess production of inflammatory molecules (like IL‑1, TNF‑α, cathelicidins) that damage capillaries, trigger redness, and perpetuate flareups.
Over time, the tiny blood vessels under your skin become fragile and reactive, making flushing and broken capillaries more likely.

3. Demodex Mites (and their associated bacteria)

Demodex mites live normally on nearly everyone’s skin, but when their population overgrows, they can block follicles, carry Staphylococcus or Bacillus bacteria, stimulate inflammation, and degrade skin barrier function.
Their presence is often higher in rosacea sufferers, and symptoms of mite overgrowth can look like pustules, itching, burning, dryness, and redness.
Diagnosis can be done via skin scraping or microscopy — but often I lean on clinical signs plus therapeutic trials to see if reducing demodex helps.

4. Vascular Dysfunction & Oxidative Stress

Rosacea isn’t only a skin problem—it’s also a vascular problem. Blood vessels under the skin become unstable, reactive to temperature, alcohol, stress, heat, or inflammatory triggers.
Oxidative stress, poor endothelial health, and damage to capillary walls all worsen vessel fragility and reactivity.

5. Hormones, Metabolic Imbalance & Blood Sugar Instability

Hormonal fluctuations (e.g. peri‑menopause, estrogen dominance, adrenal imbalance) can influence skin inflammation, vascular tone, and immune balance.
Insulin resistance or blood sugar swings may feed into oxidative stress and inflammatory cascades that irritate skin.

6. Nutrient Deficiencies & Oxidative Stress

Low levels of key nutrients (vitamin D, zinc, omega‑3s, B‑complex, antioxidants) reduce your skin and immune system’s resilience.
Heavy oxidative burden from pollution, stress, UV, and diet can overwhelm your antioxidant defences, damaging skin cells and vessels.

7. Lifestyle, Triggers & Environmental Factors

Common triggers: hot drinks/foods, spicy foods, alcohol, sun, heat, stress, certain cosmetics or skincare ingredients, wind, cold temperature, intense exercise, emotional stress.
Frequent use of irritating skincare, heavy oils, or occlusive products can worsen barrier dysfunction.
Sleep disruption, inadequate hydration, chronic stress, and poor detoxification capacity also play supporting roles.

Because there are so many overlapping causes, it's rarely enough to treat just “one thing.” That’s why trying shortsighted fixes often fails. We need to take a full systems approach — skin, gut, immunity, hormones, lifestyle, and targeted external support — all integrated.

Hope Is Real: You CAN Heal Rosacea

This is where I come in — as your partner, guide, and strategist. I’m not promising a quick fix (rosacea is stubborn), but I do promise that with dedication, testing, and a tailored plan, we can substantially reduce or even erase your symptoms over time.

Here’s how I walk with my clients:

Comprehensive assessment & testing (gut, hormones, nutrients, microbiome, skin biopsy/demodex as needed)
Tailored nutrition & supplement plans to rebalance gut, reduce inflammation, support skin repair, and address systemic issues
Custom skincare & beauty protocols that align with your internal healing (clean, non‑irritating, barrier repairing, demodex‑aware)
Lifestyle coaching: stress management, sleep, detox support, trigger elimination, gut healing diet strategies
Close support and accountability — I guide you through each flare, tweak as needed, and stay by your side

I believe in healing with care, intention, and expertise — not guesswork.

Your Path Forward — Take Action Today

Here’s how you can start your journey to calm, clear, glowing skin:

Complete the Gut Health Questionnaire to identify your underlying gut imbalances and triggers:

Gut Health Assessment Questionnaire

Book a Free 20-Minute Clarity Call to get your questions answered and learn exactly what’s going on with your skin:

BOOK YOUR FREE 20-MINUTE CLARITY CALL HERE

Jump straight in and book your Glowing Skin & Health Consult + Facial — this is the fastest, most comprehensive way to start healing your skin and body together:

✅ Ready to start? Get your questions answered here:

Take the first step today — Book your free 20-minute call with Maria. In this no-pressure chat, you’ll get clarity on what’s happening in your body and receive personalised recommendations you can start using right away to feel more energised, in control of your appetite, and steady in your mood.

BOOK HERE FOR FREE CONSULT

📍 Higher Health Wellness Centre

📞 Maria Lucey | 0438 112 050

📧 support@higherhealth.com.au

🌐 www.higherhealth.com.au