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.