In the Red

By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 18th June 2010

Rosacea can have a huge impact on your life, but many people don't even realise the condition exists. Here, we meet Helen Sher, a woman determined to change that...

If you blush easily, or are prone to episodes of severe facial flushing when stressed or hot, you're not alone. The bad news is that this is often an early symptom of rosacea - a chronic skin condition estimated to affect up to five per cent of adults in the UK.

As well as persistent flushing of the face, rosacea can also manifest itself in persistent redness, spots, visible or broken blood vessels and, in more extreme cases, thickened skin - usually on or around the nose.

Symptoms include itching and burning sensations and sufferers often find their condition is made worse by exposure to sunlight stress, very hot or cold weather, alcohol and certain foods. Although some people develop symptoms in their early twenties, onset usually begins between the ages of 30 and 60.

The good news is that rosacea doesn't have to ruin your life. There are a lot of treatments out there which claim to deal with the problem, from antibiotics on the NHS through to aesthetic laser treatments in the private sector.

However, one woman claims there is a natural alternative that is just as effective as any drug or machine. Helen Sher is founder of The Sher System - a unique skincare regime which has temperature controlled water as its key ingredient.

Helen is so passionate about helping rosacea sufferers that she has designated June 2010 Rosacea Awareness Month in the UK, and has set up a Rosacea Hotline to give free one-to-one advice on how to
deal with the problem.

Throughout her career in the cosmetics industry, Helen has developed an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of skincare. Her in-depth research led her to realise that many of the mass-marketed companies are not equipped to manage individual skin concerns, and she was convinced she could find the answer.

The Sher System is based on a personalised approach to skincare, tailored to the individual following a mail analysis to assess their needs. Once the problem has been diagnosed, the appropriate products for you can then be purchased by mail order, and an instructional DVD is included in the first package.

Helen Sher is keen to stress the benefits of this mail order system: "One day, several years ago, I came across an old photo of a client with severe rosacea, Dee Wilkinson. I decided to check the files and sure enough, she was still a client."

Interested to see whether The Sher System had improved Dee's condition, Helen contacted her to ask how she was getting along and to request an up-to-date photograph. This is what she received in reply:

Dee's Story

"I was 31 when I first noticed unusual facial flushing in about 1989. Initially I thought I must be using a product that was having an adverse effect on my skin. Then I looked at my diet but nothing I did helped and the flushing continued.

I put off going to the doctors at the time because my daughter was unwell and I was far more concerned for her welfare than my own. Eventually Fern was diagnosed with asthma and it was while she was in hospital that a nurse commented on my facial condition.

When I did finally see a doctor, my condition was dismissed as stress-related and I was told to take it easy. The flushing continued, however, until finally I insisted on a referral to a dermatologist. Within seven days I had an appointment and was diagnosed with rosacea. Treatment consisted of antibiotics, steroid cream and a facial wash and when I returned the following month there had been a marked improvement. However, it was not to last and my new doctor continued to prescribe antibiotics.

Whilst on antibiotics, I could only describe my skin as ‘bearable'. Certainly not a great complexion but at least it allowed me to go about life. However, as time passed, the effectiveness of the antibiotics diminished and the condition worsened to such an extent that in 1997 my doctor referred me back to hospital where it was suggested I undertake a course of Roaccutane.

I read the information given to me by the hospital and after further research decided it was not for me. There simply had to be an alternative way!

I had by this time suffered the condition for seven years and it was both physically and mentally affecting me to such an extent that, had it not been for my family, I would probably have committed suicide.

I was prepared to try anything and embarked on what was to be a long journey of failed attempts. My first port of call was homeopathic remedies but after six months or more it was apparent that it was getting me nowhere. Next, I tried Chinese medicine and initially there was a remarkable improvement. For the first time in years the burning sensation I had endured subsided and my face felt cool, but unfortunately it didn't last.

Desperation drove me back to the medical profession and my doctor decided to send me back to the hospital. I found myself preparing to accept the fact that the dreaded Roaccutane might be my only
hope but at that point a close friend came to my rescue and sent me a copy of a newspaper article about The Sher Clinic. I decided I had nothing to lose.

I waited three months for my appointment with Helen, but the moment I met her I could tell from her sympathetic and understanding manner that she knew exactly what I had been through.

I had been desperate when I walked into her clinic but within two weeks she had given me back my life. I have used Sher products ever since and never looked back. Now, when I look in the mirror I think... rosacea? What rosacea!"