Skin redness or erythema is an unusual red patch or areas on the skin that are usually taken as a sign of infection, sunburn or inflammation. When this happens, blood vessels under the skin are enlarged as the blood flow increases.
Redness on the face, especially on the cheeks and nose, is more noticeable since the vessels on these parts are wider and nearer to the skin’s surface. Redness of the skin may develop gradually through the years, but most of the time, it appears unexpectedly. Here are four possible causes:
1. Rosacea
It is the most common cause of redness especially on the face. Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder characterized by sensitive skin that is prone to redness, mostly on the cheeks and nose (but it may also appear on the chin, eyelids and forehead).
It can also lead to skin outbreaks that look a lot like acne. You should know that not everything that appears on your face that look like pimples are acne. Rosacea is not a type of acne that you can treat with regular acne medications.
Currently, it has no identified cure but flare-ups can be lessened by avoiding triggers. Triggers may vary but the most common ones include heat, cold weather, spicy foods, alcohol and stress. Antibiotics may be ingested or applied topically. Stronger medications such as Accutane and Isoretinol may also be used under prescription by a dermatologist.
2. Atopic or Contact Dermatitis?
It can really be difficult to tell the difference between atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis. Some even think that there is no distinction, so they treat it just the same skin condition. The underlying cause to this confusion is that both conditions result to skin redness, itching and scaling.
However, having atopic dermatitis (which is a type of eczema) is a predisposed occurrence and hereditary disorders by nature. Most of the people who suffer from eczema need a systemic body treatment which includes a special diet, avoiding stress and being extremely careful about certain things that touch the skin and trigger allergic outbreaks.
Contact dermatitis, on the other hand, is more of circumstantial or “case-by-case”. It simply means that your skin came in contact with a specific material that may have caused the negative reaction. Simply knowing the cause and getting rid of it can give relief to a person who has contact dermatitis.
3. Sun Damage
Aside from the common sunburn that you get from going out without sunscreen on, excessive sun exposure from childhood to adolescence accumulate and may result in the unnatural redness of the skin. From afar, this skin condition may look like plain red spots but up close, they are actually small blood vessels on the surface of the skin (a condition called telangiectasias). Exposure to ultraviolet radiation thins out the walls that surround the capillaries and result to bruising.
Laser treatments can be used to reduce or completely normalize the appearance of blood vessels. It works by destroying the tiny veins and effectively fading the flushed appearance of the skin.
4. Lupus Erythematosus
Even though it is very rare, a person who suddenly develops a vivid red skin rash on the cheeks or nose can be diagnosed with lupus. Systemic lupus is an auto-immune disease that may have an effect on the kidneys, joints, skin and other body organs.
This disorder causes the immune system to act abnormally by attacking both harmful and healthy substances in the body, resulting to long-term inflammation. Skin rashes may appear at any time or after being exposed to the sun. A series of tests should be made to properly detect this disease and specific treatments are designed to simply control its symptoms, depending on the severity of the affected organs.
As you can see, skin redness can vary among several health or skin conditions. Proper diagnosis can be made on the basis of the following: other symptoms, your skin’s appearance, recent contact to allergens and irritants and medical history.
Treatment may vary as well, depending on the severity and cause of your skin redness. Seek medical help especially if it is accompanied by swelling, hives, shortness of breath, severe itching, vomiting, nausea, weakness and high fever.
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