Causes of Rosacea

Rosacea is a skin condition that occurs most often in adults. It resembles acne in some ways, and some people often think they are suffering from acne when they really have rosacea instead. The effects of rosacea can range from mild to severe, and it may or may not require specific treatment to control it. Experts are not entirely sure of the causes of rosacea, but through a great deal of research they are beginning to understand more about what rosacea really is and the effects it causes in your skin.

What are the causes of rosacea?

Lots and lots of scientists and researchers are working to find an answer to this question. Unfortunately the true causes of rosacea are not yet known; however, all of the research and study has yielded some much better information about what it is, how it shows up, and who is more susceptible to getting rosacea in the first place.

Rosacea most commonly appears in adults, especially those with fair skin. It also tends to appear in people who have a tendency to blush quite easily. This might seem odd at first, but when you understand what rosacea is it becomes clearer why those who blush are more likely to develop this condition.

Understanding what rosacea is all about

Rosacea is a condition affecting the tiny little blood vessels that are spread all over just underneath the surface of your skin. When rosacea occurs, these tiny blood vessels swell up with blood and many of them actually burst due to this extra blood. The surface of the skin appears very red as well, and this redness can come and go depending on the severity of the outbreak. It also may cause the eyes and the eyelids to turn pink or red as well; when this happens, the eyes and eyelids can become quite sore and tender to the touch.

A number of things can trigger a rosacea outbreak in people who have this condition. In general, anything that causes the tiny blood vessels to expand can potentially cause a rosacea outbreak; stress, exposure to the wind or sun, hot baths, hot weather, very spicy foods, and alcohol all fall into this category of potential triggers.

Rosacea and skin outbreaks

A flare up of rosacea can cause development of small bumps and pimples on the face, much the same as acne might cause. While these bumps and pimples are not actually acne, many people mistakenly treat them as they would acne when they first start to appear.

Unfortunately, just as we don’t know the causes of rosacea there is no cure yet for outbreaks of rosacea. The most successful approach currently is to use antibiotics to control the outbreaks of pimples, usually given as either a topical cream or an oral antibiotic pill. While antibiotics can be quite effective, it is not unusual for it to take one to two months to see the full beneficial effects.

Another treatment used for rosacea is the use of stronger medications such as isotretinoin (Accutane) or tretinoin (Retin A). These are generally reserved for only the most difficult and serious cases of rosacea because of the significant side effects they may cause.