What does rosacea look like?
Rosacea has a variety of clinical features, or signs and symptoms. Doctors generally classify rosacea into four types based on symptoms. The earliest recognizable stage is called prerosacea. Signs and symptoms at this stage include frequent episodes of flushing and redness of the face and neck that come and go. Many things can trigger a flareup, including exposure to the sun, emotional stress, alcohol, spicy foods, exercise, cold wind, hot foods and beverages, and hot baths. What causes a flareup in one person may not cause a problem in another. Another type of rosacea, called vascular rosacea, is commonly seen in women. Blood vessels under the skin of the face swell (telangiectasia). As a result, flushing and redness become persistent and, eventually, permanent. The affected skin may be slightly swollen and warm. Some people, often people with a history of vascular rosacea, also develop inflammatory rosacea. With this form of the disease, people develop pink bumps (papules) and pimple
The cause of rosacea is not fully understood, but many think that the defect lies in the blood vessels in the skin of the face, which open (dilate) too easily. Rosacea is more common in women than in men, and in those with a fair skin who flush easily. Many things seem to make rosacea worse, but probably do not cause it in the first place. They include alcohol, too much exercise, both high and low temperatures, hot spicy foods, stress, and sunlight. Things that make one person’s rosacea worse may well have no effect at all on the rosacea of someone else. The idea that rosacea is due to germs in the skin, or in the bowel, has not been proved. Rosacea is not catching. Rosacea starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily. After a while, the central areas of the face become a deeper shade of red and end up staying this colour all the time. The area becomes studded with small red bumps (papules) and pus spots, which come and go in crops. Small, dilated blood vessels (telangiectasia) app
There are several symptoms and conditions associated with rosacea. These include frequent flushing, vascular rosacea, inflammatory rosacea, and several other conditions involving the skin, eyes, and nose. Frequent flushing of the center of the face–which may include the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin–occurs in the earliest stage of rosacea. The flushing often is accompanied by a burning sensation, particularly when creams or cosmetics are applied to the face. Sometimes the face is swollen slightly. A condition called vascular rosacea causes persistent flushing and redness. Blood vessels under the skin of the face may dilate (enlarge), showing through the skin as small red lines. This is called telangiectasia (tel-AN-je-ek-tay-ze-ah). The affected skin may be swollen slightly and feel warm. A condition called inflammatory rosacea causes persistent redness and papules (pink bumps) and pustules (bumps containing pus) on the skin. Eye inflammation and sensitivity as well as telangiecta
Rosacea has many symptoms, including the following: • Frequent redness (flushing) of the face. Most redness is at the center of the face (forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin). There may also be a burning feeling and slight swelling. • Small red lines under the skin. These lines show up when blood vessels under the skin get larger. This area of the skin may be somewhat swollen, warm, and red. • Constant redness along with bumps on the skin. Sometimes the bumps have pus inside (pimples), but not always. Solid bumps on the skin may later become painful. • Inflamed eyes/eyelids. • A swollen nose. In some people (mostly men), the nose becomes red, larger, and bumpy. • Thicker skin. The skin on the forehead, chin, cheeks, or other areas can become thicker because of rosacea.
Rosacea is considered a chronic (long-term), non-curable skin disease with periodic ups and downs. As opposed to traditional acne, most adult patients do not “outgrow” rosacea. It characteristically involves the central region of the face, causing persistent redness or transient flushing over the areas of the face and nose that normally blush — mainly the forehead, the chin and the lower half of the nose. It is commonly seen in people with fair or light skin, and particularly in those of Irish and Scottish backgrounds. Some famous people with rosacea have included former President Bill Clinton and W.C. Fields.
