Acne
Rosacea is Not Actually Acne
There is no such thing as acne
rosacea. Although rosacea may be similar to acne, the acne rosacea
term is a misnomer. The ailment became known as acne rosacea because
of rosacea’s symptoms. Red bumps are usually associated with
acne, but rosacea also appears on a person’s forehead, chin
and lower half of the nose. The redness is caused by the dilation
of tiny blood vessels in the face that appear through the skin.
Like acne, rosacea can happen to just about anyone, although it
usually affects adults ages 30 to 50. Also like acne, rosacea is
most common among women but it is worse in men. Unlike acne, rosacea
has no blackheads or whiteheads. Rosacea tends to appear and disappear
and over time the facial skin will have a difficult time returning
to its usual skin tone. This ailment, if left untreated, can lead
to rhinophyma. Rhinophyma, which occurs primarily to men, consists
of the enlargement of the nose and puffiness of the cheeks.
Rosacea is a common skin disorder that affected roughly 14 million
people in the United States in 2008. The pink patches, pink eyes,
small red bumps and cysts that characterize rosacea are often mistaken
for acne.
Unlike acne, rosacea can’t be cured. Medications you would
use for acne tend to irritate rosacea. Still, topical antibiotics
and oral antibiotics are used to treat rosacea. Cortisone is sometimes
prescribed to reduce inflammation.
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