What is Rosacea?

Rosacea (rose-AY-sha) is a chronic (long-term) skin disease that causes redness and swelling, primarily on the face. Other areas that can be affected are the scalp, neck, ears, chest and back. Sometimes, rosacea affects the eyes.

Those afflicted with rosacea may first notice a tendency to flush or blush easily. The condition can occur over a long period of time and often progresses to a persistent redness, pimples and visible blood vessels in the center of the face that can eventually involve the cheeks, forehead, chin and nose.

Since rosacea causes facial swelling and redness, it is easily confused with other skin conditions, such as acne and sunburn. For this reason, rosacea is known as the “great pretender,” and often incorrectly referred to as “adult acne.”

Who Gets Rosacea? Rosacea affects an estimated 14 million Americans. Adults, especially those between 30 and 50 years of age who have lighter skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, are most likely to suffer from rosacea. However, rosacea can affect children and people of any skin type.

Rosacea Subtypes

Pre-Rosacea: the first cardinal sign of rosacea: blood vessels dilate to more stimuli, open wider and stay open for longer periods of time compared to normal persons. No visible damage can normally be seen.
Mild Rosacea: begins when the facial redness induced by flushing persists for an abnormal length of time - usually 1/2 an hour or more after a trigger. Those who have frequent pre-rosacea flushing are highly susceptible to progressing to mild rosacea. Some of the common triggers for a facial flush are heat, cold, emotions, exercise, topical irritants and allergic reactions.
Moderate Rosacea: as facial flushing becomes more frequent and intense, vascular damage occurs. This can result in long lasting redness, swelling and inflammatory papules and pustules. Telangiectasia (damaged micro blood vessels, often visible on the surface of the skin) may be noticed in the areas where flushing is worst.
Severe Rosacaea: characterised by intense bouts of facial flushing, severe inflammation, facial pain, swelling and burning sensations. Sufferers may develop intolerance to products they were able to use before. Also inflammatory papules, pustules and nodules may be present. Some experience a bulbous enlargement of the nose, known as rhinophyma. This is just a guide, you may of course experience symptoms outside these ranges.