What is Rosacea?

If your face looks like you're blushing and you get bumps that are a bit like acne, you might have a skin condition called rosacea.

Main symptoms:

Redness on your cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Less often, the color can appear on your neck, head, ears, or chest.

After a while, broken blood vessels might show through your skin, which can thicken and swell up. Up to half of people with rosacea also get eye problems like redness, swelling, and pain.

Other symptoms:

Stinging and burning of your skin
Patches of rough, dry skin
A swollen, bulb-shaped nose
Larger pores
Broken blood vessels on your eyelids
Bumps on your eyelids
Problems with seeing

These symptoms can come and go. They might flare up for a few weeks, fade, and then come back.

Getting treatment is a must, so make sure you see your skin doctor. If you don't take care of your rosacea, redness and swelling can get worse and might become permanent.

A few things that may play a role are:

• Your genes. Rosacea often runs in families.
• Blood vessel trouble. The redness on your skin might be due to problems with blood vessels in your face. Sun damage could cause them to get wider, which makes it easier for other people to see them.
• Mites. They're tiny insects. A type called Demodex folliculorum normally lives on your skin and usually isn't harmful. Some people, though, have more of these bugs than usual. Too many mites could irritate your skin.
• Bacteria. A type called H. pylori normally lives in your gut. Some studies suggest this germ can raise the amount of a digestive hormone called gastrin, which might cause your skin to look flushed.

Some things about you may make you more likely to get rosacea. For instance, your chances of getting the skin condition go up if you:

• Have light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes
• Are between ages 30 and 50
• Are a woman
• Have family members with rosacea
• Had severe acne
• Smoke

Things that often trigger rosacea are:

• Sunlight
• Hot or cold temperatures
• Wind
• Stress
• Hot baths
• Hot or spicy foods or drinks
• Alcohol
• Intense exercise
• Medicines such as blood pressure drugs or steroids you put on your skin

Also try to follow these tips every day to help fade the redness on your skin:

1. Put on sunscreen. Use one that's SPF 30 or higher whenever you go outside. Also wear a wide-brimmed hat that covers your face.
2. Use only gentle and natural skin care products. Avoid cleansers and creams that have alcohol, fragrance, witch hazel, and other harsh ingredients. After you wash your face, gently blot your skin dry with a soft cloth.
3. Use a natural moisturizer. It's especially helpful in cold weather. Low temps and wind can dry up your skin.
4. Massage your face. Gently rub your skin in a circular motion. Start in the middle of your face and work your way outward toward your ears.
5. Cover up. Put a green-tinted cover-up on your face to hide redness and broken blood vessels.
6. Go indoors. Get out of the heat and sun and cool off in an air-conditioned room.
7. Choosing a natural yet clinically proven product is another good way to manage this condition well.