Overview

What Is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a skin condition that causes redness and small red bumps on the nose and cheeks and eventually spreads to the jaw, forehead, chest and back. It sometimes causes dry or irritated eyes and thickened skin on the nose.

There are four types of rosacea:

• Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea: This is characterized by redness, flushing and visible blood vessels.
• Papulopustular rosacea: This type features swelling and acne-like pimples in addition to redness.
• Phymatous rosacea: This is recognized as the thickening and bumpy texture of the facial skin.
• Ocular rosacea: Dry, irritated, red eyes and swollen eyelids with sty-like bumps are known as ocular rosacea.

It’s estimated that more than 14 million Americans have rosacea. Most are women over age 30 with fair skin and a tendency to blush more than other people. Many are of Celtic or Scandinavian ancestry. Rosacea also runs in families. Severe rosacea, however, is more common in men than women.