Rosacea on The Cheeks and Nose - All you Need to Know 

"Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes a prolonged redness on the face and nose, accompanying visible blood vessels, swollen bumps on the entire area causing pain, itching, and irritable skin that lasts for months."

There is no specific test to diagnose rosacea. The doctor usually relies on the history of your symptoms as well as an examination of your skin. People may mistake rosacea for acne, eczema, hot flashes of menopause, or an allergic skin reaction.

What does rosacea look like on the face?

Rosacea on the face and nose appears like a red rash on the skin that starts to change into pimple type structure containing blood and pus called pustule or pimple. It resembles sunburn. There are about 16 million people in the US with this condition. Many people get eye issues (Ocular rosacea) due to the presence of rosacea on the cheeks and nose. Rosacea can be affected by the hormonal changes that appear during a woman's menstrual cycle or perimenopause. These changes can increase redness, flushing, and rosacea bumps.

Common symptoms of rosacea:

Rosacea on Cheeks

Rosacea on cheeks occurs in women mostly. It begins with a small red spot or a patch on one cheek and then spreads over the whole area and becomes severe over time and turns into pustules containing blood and pus. If your face appears as though you are blushing and you get bumps that are similar to acne, you might have a skin condition called rosacea. Your doctor can recommend topical medications and other treatments to manage your symptoms; there are many steps you can do at home to make yourself feel and look better.

You also need to take some extra measures to deal with stress and anxiety to calm down rosacea. For a temporary aesthetic solution, use green-tinted concealer to hide rosacea bumps and blemishes. 

Selenium, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6 deficiencies bring about the enlargement of blood vessels and trigger rosacea on the cheeks and nose. Vitamin B12 is another common nutritional deficiency in rosacea. Eating foods that can overcome nutrient deficiencies may help soothe cheeks rosacea. 

Rosacea on Nose

Rosacea on the nose makes the nose enlarged and swollen; the shape of a nose looks different than usual. This condition is known as Rhinophyma. This condition occurs in men commonly. Oil glands on the nose become enlarged, resulting in a buildup of tissues on and around it. Severe rosacea on the nose can cause a slight problem in breathing due to swollen nostrils. 

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Rosacea-nose-rhinophyma

Rosacea symptoms occur in cycles; at times, these are in a mild state, and then for a certain period, the symptoms become severe. This disease has both environmental and genetic effects. It runs in families. Rosacea can affect anyone, but it occurs in middle-aged, light-skinned women more commonly. Its cause is still unknown, but certain food items can trigger it, such as:

• Alcohol consumption 
• Spicy foods
• Food items containing histamine (a nitrogenous organic compound involved in immune responses, mainly an inflammatory response, and works as a mediator of itching)
• Dairy items such as sour cream or cheese may flare-up rosacea in some people.

Other triggers include:

• Stress 
• Bad gut (h. pylori bacteria present in the gut rises the gastrin hormone, which might cause skin flushed)
• Heat and extreme temperatures
• Sunlight 

A wide range of ingredients and harsh chemicals found in cleansers and make-up products may also trigger rosacea. The surveys conducted by the National Rosacea society say many patients reported several ingredients that triggered irritation in them. 

The common ingredients and products that may trigger rosacea include:

• Alcohol and acetone
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus oil
• Witch hazel
• Camphor
• Astringents
• Toners
• Scrubs
• Exfoliating agents 
• Fragrances
• Hair sprays

Types of Rosacea

There are four known types of rosacea. 

Type1 – Erythematotelangietatic Rosacea or Vascular Rosacea 

The appearance of redness on the face, blood vessels beneath the skin become enlarged. These symptoms flare up and then disappear, which refer to mild rosacea.

Type2 – Papulopustular Rosacea or Inflammatory Rosacea

This subtype is associated with whitehead pustules which are pus-filled bumps. Blemishes occur afterward that take a long time to fade away. A severe episode of type 2 rosacea can lead to chronic facial edema. 

Type3 – Phymatous Rosacea

It is characterized by thickened skin of the nose and cheeks with enlarged pores and irregular surface nodularities. Small, red, or pus-colored bumps appear. This rosacea type most commonly affects the nose (rhinophyma) but can also appear on the chin, forehead, ears, and area around ears.

Type4 – Ocular Rosacea

This type of rosacea leads to either dry or watery eyes, the bloodshot appearance of the eyes, sensation of burning, stinging, or some foreign body, and inflammation on eyelids. Patients suffering from ocular rosacea may suffer from itching, blurred vision, and light sensitivity.

What does mild rosacea look like?

Mild rosacea looks like a red or pink rash or flushing (erythema) on the area of cheeks and nose, causing slight itching and very minute bumps appearance, yet it can stay for a long time. 

What do rosacea bumps look like?

Rosacea bump looks like a tiny red solid 'papule' that becomes sore when the condition gets severe; it usually contains pus and blood. Sometimes these bumps may resemble acne but do not contain blackheads called comedones. In fact, rosacea has often been named as adult acne or acne rosacea. A network of blood vessels becomes visible over the entire infected area and looks like thin red lines (telangiectasias).

There are medications, therapies, laser treatments, and home remedies to treat symptoms of rosacea. People go for a lifestyle change and diet change to treat rosacea themselves at earlier stages. Once rosacea on the face and nose flares-up, you need to consult a dermatologist to get a better solution. The most effective solution to treat rosacea is laser treatment, but it is costly, and one should go for it if the skin condition worsens.

Rosacea pictures before and after  

The below patients used Marvesol^®’s Rosacea After Care cream to reduce their rosacea and the “After” Results started appearing after 2 weeks of daily usage.

Take away

Rosacea progression varies from person to person, depending on various factors such as skin sensitivity and complexion, genetics, length of time and frequency of sun exposure without wearing sunscreen, spicy foods, extreme temperatures, etc. It is an irritating disease that affects patient's health and life quality. Patients with rosacea on the face and nose feel a negative burden of disease, such as low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and decreased social interaction. However, appropriate treatment and avoidance of potential triggers can generally help to control this skin condition well.

Do you identify any symptoms of rosacea on your face and nose? 

What do those symptoms look like?