Acne Rosacea Causes

Clinical findings are usually limited to the sun exposed areas of the face and chest and include mid facial rash, spider veins, papules and pustules, and enlarged sebaceous glands. When sufferers of acne rosacea consume alcohol, hot drinks, or spicy foods, a flushing may appear, along with swelling, papules, and pustules, on the face and chest. Unlike the acne commonly endured by teenagers, the skin lesions do not appear as blackheads of whiteheads, or comedones, which distinguishes this disorder from acne vulgaris.

Acne rosacea may appear hand-in-hand with ocular rosacea, or rosacea of the eye. Ocular involvement may include the glands of the eyes, along with a chronic inflammation of the eyelids, recurring conjunctivitis, and many other symptoms. On occasion, the eyes become involved before acne rosacea appears on the face, which can delay the diagnosis. The condition at that phase can be mistaken for other common infections of the eye.

Adults between the ages of 30 and 60 appear to be the most common victims of acne rosacea, but it may very rarely be found in children. Accompanying ocular rosacea seems to strike patients between 51-60 years of age. The eyes become involved in the rosacea syndrome in more than 50% of patients. Past research seems to indicate that women are twice as likely to develop acne rosacea as men. Some more recent data suggests that an equal number of men and women is affected. The distribution of cases by age in the two sexes is similar. Both acne rosacea and ocular rosacea have also been documented in African Americans. While older studies failed to recognize the disorder in black populations, it has been found that the more intense pigmentation in the black population may mask early acne rosacea lesions. Studies have not substantiated the widespread assumption that rosacea mainly affects fair-skinned people of northern European descent or Celtic origin.

Some symptoms of acne rosacea may mimic those of acne vulgaris, the more commonly known skin disorder. Victims of acne rosacea should consult a physician or dermatologist as soon as infection is suspected.