Rosacea

What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, mostly affecting the facial areas of the cheeks, chin, nose and central part of the forehead. It can cause various symptoms, mainly redness of the skin, visible blood vessels on the face and in some cases small, pus-filled bumps. But sometimes a tingling or burning sensation accompanies this, along with dryness of the skin and some swelling.

Who gets rosacea?

Anyone can develop rosacea, although it is generally more common in people over 45, women, and people who have fair skin.^[1]

How common is rosacea?

Although the exact prevalence of rosacea is unknown, worldwide studies suggest that just over 5% of the adult population is affected. Both men and women are affected by it, but the proportion of women who get rosacea is slightly higher. It mostly affects men and women in the 45-60 age bracket.^[1]

What causes rosacea?

Although the exact cause is not known, various factors are believed to contribute towards or cause rosacea. It may be simply down to skin type (genetics), as rosacea may run in some families, such as those with photosensitive skin types. Exposure to the elements, like the sun, for example, is also seen as a risk factor, along with increasing age.

It’s also thought that a tiny mite (Demodex folliculorum) which lives harmlessly on the skin of many people and usually produces normally harmless bacteria, is understood to be more prevalent if you’re more prone to rosacea.

With different people there is often a specific stimulus or trigger which may include the following:

• Smoking;
• Heat or cold ambient temperature;
• Certain foods such as cheese or those containing spices;
• Hot drinks;
• Alcohol;
• Emotional stress;
• Caffeine
• Intense aerobic exercise such as running;
• Drugs such as calcium–channel blockers and topical corticosteroids.

What are the symptoms of rosacea?

There are various symptoms associated with rosacea. Some or all may be experienced, with the severity and duration varying greatly from person to person and even episode to episode. The first symptom you’ll normally get is redness (blushing) across your nose, forehead, cheeks and chin, which may come and go.^[1] This may be accompanied by a burning or stinging sensation, especially when washing or using skincare products. On darker skin this redness may be harder to see.

Other symptoms may include:

• Small broken blood vessels that will not go away;
• Small pink or red bumps (sometimes these become filled with a yellowish liquid);
• Dry skin;
• Swelling, especially around the eyes;
• Yellow-orange patches on the skin;
• Sore eyelids or crusts around the eyelash roots (this could be blepharitis);
• Thickened skin, mainly on the nose (usually appears after many years).

Can rosacea lead to other problems?

Usually rosacea doesn’t cause any serious complications. But if it affects the eyes, it can become serious without treatment. On very rare occasions, a particularly serious form of rosacea forms, called fulminans, which can produce large cysts which may cause permanent scarring.

Rosacea is often misdiagnosed as eczema, and the longer it’s undiagnosed and untreated, the more serious it can become.