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News Note

By Darren Buford

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, October/November 2001.

Higher facial temperatures may be linked to the skin disorder rosacea, according to Dr. Mark Dahl of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. Characterized by facial bumps and acne, a swollen nose, redness over the nose and cheeks, and small dilated blood vessels in the skin known as telangiectasia, rosacea may be caused by changes in temperature, affecting the toxicity of bacteria in the face. At higher temperatures, an enzyme called lipase is released more readily than at lower temperatures, causing a depletion of nutrients and, thus, dryness in the face. According to the National Rosacea Society, more than 14 million Americans are affected by the skin disorder.