It often starts with easy blushing and flushing of your face. Over time, redness persists around the nose area before spreading to your cheeks and chin. Some people also experience outbreaks in the mid-forehead region.
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness, acne-like outbreaks and visible blood vessels in your face. It affects more than 16 million adults in the U.S., and up to half of these also develop eye problems where the eyelids become inflamed or the eyes feel gritty, which can often be mistaken for allergies.
If you experience vision cloudiness or blurriness, you should seek ophthalmology care for ocular rosacea.
“Many Americans have some degree of rosacea and often mistake the flushing and appearance of pimples as a recurrence of skin problems from their teenage years,” said Dr. Mary Hall, a dermatologist at Mon Health. “It typically begins between ages 30 and 50 as redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead. It might even look like an outbreak of pimples.”
However, it’s different from teenage acne, which generally clears up in a week. The papules are painful and can last 4 to 6 weeks.
Rosacea risk factors and triggers
Although the cause of rosacea is unknown, it mostly affects middle-aged women who have fair skin, especially during menopause. Other risk factors include a family history of rosacea and smoking.
While it’s 3 to 4 times more common in women than men, the symptoms are usually more severe in men, such as a swollen and enlarged nose from excess tissue (rhinophyma).
“Rosacea symptoms can come and go,” Dr. Hall said. “Identifying and avoiding the triggers that cause flare ups is an important part of treatment. These triggers aggravate rosacea by increasing blood flow to the surface of your skin.”
Common triggers include:
- Spicy foods and hot drinks
- Cold temperatures
- Being overheated
- Sun exposure
- Excess weight; obesity
- Alcohol, especially wine and liquor
- Stress
- Cosmetics
- Drugs that dilate blood vessels
- Treating rosacea
Although there’s no cure for rosacea, treatments can reduce or control symptoms. Treatments include:
- Avoiding triggers
- Washing skin with mild soap and lukewarm or cool water
- Using moisturizers and sunscreens
- Drinking water
- Using a cool towel on your face after working out
- Cosmetics, particularly green-tinted concealers, may hide redness
- Prescription gels, creams, lotions and antibiotics
- Vascular laser therapy
“Treatment options depend on the type and severity of your rosacea,” Dr. Hall said. “Without treatment, rosacea tends to worsen over time. The skin becomes ruddier and the symptoms last longer. Eventually visible blood vessels appear. That’s why early detection is important.”
If you have persistent facial redness, talk to a dermatologist or your primary care doctor.
