Acne rosacea

Acne Rosacea is a skin disorder limited to the nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead, typically beginning during adulthood. The facial skin becomes oily, reddened and bumpy. Small red blood vessels are visible. In extreme cases, the nose may appear very red and bulbous.

• Although it sometimes can be hard to distinguish from common acne,  rosacea is not a form of acne vulgaris. However, rosacea is sometimes called acne rosacea. Like acne vulgaris, rosacea is a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit. But rosacea is not caused by the same factors as acne vulgaris and is a skin disorder in its own right.
  

• Rosacea often begins as redness of the face. Small, red, pimple-like bumps can form on the face, but unlike acne vulgaris there are no comedones. Capillaries may be visible on the skin, contributing to the red appearance of the face.
  

• Unlike most acne, rosacea typically doesn't appear before age 30. Interestingly, it is more common in women, but men tend to develop more severe forms.
  

Causes

The exact cause of rosacea is still unknown and remains a mystery. The basic process seems to involve dilation of the small blood vessels of the face. There are several causal factors that are often linked to the development of rosacea. Some of the causal factors includes:

Genetics and Environment

---

It is assumed that rosacea is caused by genetics and the environment, or a combination of both. People who have rosacea often have family members who have it as well. Also, excessive sun exposure and damage can lead to acne rosacea.

Some foods

---

Some foods and beverages can aggravate rosacea and raise the blood flow to the skin's surface. Spicy foods, alcohol and extremely hot foods or drinks (such as coffee) can all make acne rosacea worse and result in the skin flushing.

Medications

---

Medications that are capable of dilating the blood vessels (like some hypertension medicines) are also possible culprits of rosacea.

Human factor

---

Certain people have a much higher likelihood of getting osacea. These people include individuals with pale, light skin (especially with freckles), people who blush or flush frequently, and people between the ages of 30 and 60, particularly women.

Prevention of acne rosacea

Avoid the following that trigger rosacea:

The sun

Slather on sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF broad-spectrum protection level to minimize sun damage and the effect it has on rosacea.

Extreme temperatures

Severe temperatures can cause an outbreak of rosacea.

Exercising

When overheated or burning calories during exercise, breaking a sweat in a cool environment is your best bet to curb this condition’s side effects.

Beauty products

Cosmetics and skin care products containing alcohol, fragrances and other potential irritants may push signs of rosacea into overdrive.

Foods that dilate blood vessels

Good eats and refreshing drinks like hot or caffeinated beverages and spicy foods can temporarily cause symptoms to flare up.

Bad beauty routine

Rubbing skin with a washcloth or towel or not cleansing skin twice per day can exacerbate the skin’s rosacea condition.

High stress

Suffering from anxiety and tension in excessive amounts is a sure-fire way to intensify this red-faced condition.

Treatment

There is no cure for rosacea, and as of yet no proven cause. But today rosacea can be successfully controlled. Treatment for rosacea can include oral or topical antibiotics, and some acne medications like azelaic acid. But don't try to treat rosacea on your own with over-the-counter acne products. Some can aggravate rosacea and leave your skin feeling even worse.

Vascular lasers is also the mainstay of rosacea therapy, use wavelengths that allow selective absorption by oxyhemoglobin, leading to vessel reduction and causing minimal scarring or damage to surrounding tissue.

Home › Types of Acne › Acne Rosacea

Tags

acne vulgaris, oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics, azelaic acid