What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic condition mostly affecting facial skin. It presents as chronic intermittent redness of the skin and inflammation. Rosacea is similar in appearance to acne and affects mostly fair skinned people of Northern European origin. Some know it as the “Celtic curse” because it is so common in people of Irish descent. More than 17 million individuals have some degree of rosacea in the US, and more than 45 million people are affected worldwide. Because rosacea imitates intense adult acne it is usually misdiagnosed and mistreated as acne. The parts of the body most affected are usually the face, nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. But it can appear on the neck, back and chest in some cases.
Symptoms of Rosacea
- Face redness may be persistent and unrelenting with progressive worsening or intermittent (in other words, the redness comes and goes).
- Blushing and flushing
- Pimples, red pustules, hard painful bumps and swellings
- Resembles acne
- Dilated extensive spider veins of the cheeks nose chin and forehead, which tend to proliferate aggressively when provoked by irritants as sun exposure, hot and cold baths, red wine, spicy foods and many more
Rosacea Without Treatment
Usually Rosacea will not go away on its own, but it is intermittent with short periods of remission. However, if left untreated, the rosacea progresses to worse. At times it settles on the nose and makes the tip of the nose large with lumps and pustules, and the condition is known as rhinophyma.
What is Rhinophyma?
Rhinophyma is inflammation and redness of the nose with extensive network of dilated capillaries. Eventually the skin over the nose becomes thickened with enlarged unsightly nodules and bumps. Rhinophyma originates as extreme rosacea.
