The Inflammatory Picture of Rosacea

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of the face. You may mistake some of its characteristics — small, red, pus-filled bumps or pustules — for acne. In fact, rosacea has been called adult acne or acne rosacea. Even though some people with rosacea had acne as teenagers, the disorder has little to do with the pimples and blackheads that commonly afflict teenagers. The cause of rosacea remains unknown.

Rosacea affects mostly adults, usually people with fair skin, between the ages of 30 and 60. About 14 million Americans have this skin condition. Although it's more common in women, men may develop more apparent signs of the disorder. It's not life-threatening, but it can affect your appearance and self-esteem.

Left untreated, rosacea tends to be progressive, which means it gets worse over time. However, in most people rosacea is cyclic, which means it may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then signs and symptoms lessen for a while before rosacea flares up again. Besides acne, rosacea can also be mistaken for other skin problems, such as skin allergy or eczema. Once diagnosed, it's quite treatable.