Living with Rosacea

A face is what a person shows to the world. By looking at a face, most judgements about a person are made. Imagine then, a face distorted - glaring red splotches and bumps that no makeup can cover. A bulbous nose that glows red as Rudolph's nose. Imagine going through life with a face that no one wishes to look upon. Picture yourself looking away from a mirror, ashamed to go into society. Your pores grow larger and larger, and you develop a spider web of dark veins all over your face. You try creams and lotions, and nothing seems to help. Some days are better than others. There are times when your whole face burns - you glance at a mirror and see your face flaring up. You cancel social engagements and gradually withdraw from society.

Rosacea is a little known skin disorder that affects millions of Americans. The actual cause has yet to be discovered. There are many theories. The most common theory is that Rosacea is an ongoing bacterial infection under the facial skin. Another common theory involves little mites that live in a person's hair follicles. Even though the initial cause is unknown, there are factors that are proven to cause flare-ups. A flare-up is a time of increased flushing and redness, increased pimple like bumps, and a burning sensation. The causes of flare-ups include alcohol, spicy foods, sun exposure, heavy exercise, and stress.

Rosacea has many forms. It can start as a pre-Rosacea - a tendency to flush easily, followed by redness that will not go away, usually in the center of the face. Another form is vascular Rosacea - the tendency of the blood vessels to swell and appear on the surface, especially in the nose and cheek area. Inflammatory Rosacea describes the pimple-like bumps, and ocular rosacea is the intense sensation of something irritating the eye. In the more severe forms, the facial skin thickens and the skin in the middle of the face swells, developing a bulbous nose.