Rosacea

The name acne rosacea is rather misleading, in that the condition is not actually related to classic acne, or acne vulgaris. Rather, it is a chronic inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the skin, which brings on flushing, pimples and sometimes acne-like eruptions on the face. Usually your cheeks and nose are affected but your forehead and chin can be poorly understood and pinpoint its cause.

When it first starts, rosacea usually occurs as intense blushing. If this goes on, the blood capillaries in the skin can break and stay red permanently. In some people, the skin swells and thickens; if this happens around the nose, it may become bulbous in what is known as rhinophyma. Some sufferers also find that their eyes sting and feel gritty. Rosacea can come up as pustules on the face, which is why it is often confused with acne. It can cause a great deal of discomfort and, because it affects the face, it can also be very distressing and undermine the sufferer's self-confidence.

Rosacea is actually a relatively common skin problem. One in twenty people suffer from it to varying degrees, though many may never realize that they have it. About three times as many women have it as men. It mostly affects people between the ages of 30 and 50 and appears to be more common in fair-skinned people.