If your face looks like you’re blushing and you get acne-like bumps, you may have a skin condition called rosacea. Let’s go over some basics about rosacea including what it is, what it looks like, what causes it, and what treatment options are available to you.
What is rosacea?
Rosacea is a skin disorder that is characterized by redness on the face and sometimes acne. It is incurable and impacts many people worldwide. While most people who have acne usually outgrow it after puberty is over, with rosacea acne, it becomes more of a chronic, yet benign condition.
What does rosacea look like?
As its name suggests, it gives your cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead a rosy (red) appearance. This can sometimes even extend to your neck, head, ears, and chest. After a while, broken blood vessels may also show through your skin, which can swell up. Half of the people with rosacea also see symptoms in their eyes like redness, swelling, and pain.
Other symptoms you may experience are:
- Stinging and burning of your skin
- Patches of rough, dry skin
- A swollen, bulb-shaped nose
- Larger pores
- Broken blood vessels on your eyelids
- Bumps on your eyelids
- Problems with seeing
Your rosacea symptoms may come and go. It’s possible to see flare-ups for a few weeks, then they may fade and then come back.
What causes rosacea?
Experts are still uncertain what causes rosacea but there are certain factors that increase your risk of developing rosacea. These factors include if you:
- Have light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes
- Are a woman
- Are between ages 30 and 50
- Have family members with rosacea
- Had severe acne
- Smoke
Other conditions that have been linked to rosacea are:
- Blood vessel issues. The redness in your face could be due to problems with your blood vessels. Sun damage can also make your blood vessels look wider and more noticeable.
- Tiny insects called Demodex folliculorum normally live on your skin and usually aren’t harmful. However, some people that have a heightened sensitivity to these mites may have irritation on their skin.
- H. pylori bacteria normally live in your gut. Some studies have shown that this germ can raise the amount of a digestive hormone called gastrin, which might cause your skin to look flushed like rosacea.
How is rosacea treated?
Luckily there are several treatment options available for rosacea. Some of these treatments include topical creams, antibacterial washes, laser therapy, antibiotics, photodynamic therapy, and pulsed-light therapies. In many cases, we recommend a combination of these therapies.
If you have rosacea or think you may schedule a consultation with Dr. Stockton today by calling (480) 610-6366. We’d love to discuss any questions you may have as well as treatment options.
