Rosacea can sometimes be mistaken for acne. The symptoms can be similar: pimples across your cheeks, nose, and chin.
You might assume your adult breakouts are just run-of-the-mill acne, but could it actually be rosacea instead?
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Is Rosacea a Type of Acne?
Rosacea is not a form ofacne vulgaris, although it sometimes can be hard to distinguish from common acne. To confuse the matter, rosacea is sometimes called “acne rosacea,” or even “adult acne.”
Like acne vulgaris, rosacea is a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit or what we commonly call the pore. It can cause tiny pimples, just like acne does.
If you have fair skin, you’re more prone to developing rosacea. Interestingly, it is more common in women, but men tend to develop more severe forms.
How to Practice Rosacea Self-Care
What Does Rosacea Look Like?
Rosacea often begins as redness or flushing of the face. Small, red, pimple-like bumps can form on the face, but unlike with common acne, there typically are no blackheads or comedones. Capillaries may be visible on the skin, contributing to the red appearance of the face.
If rosacea isn’t treated it can progress, and the redness and bumpiness become more severe. The skin takes on a coarse, lumpy look, and the nose can become larger and more bulbous (think W.C. Fields).
Luckily, most cases of rosacea don’t become this serious. For many people, rosacea stays mild, and the redness never progresses to papules and general skin bumpiness.
Although there is no lab test for either skin condition, your dermatologist will be able to make a diagnosis through a simple visual inspection.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have adult acne or rosacea. If you’ve noticed changes in your skin, you should make an appointment with a dermatologist.
Some people with rosacea also develop redness and grittiness in the eyes, calledocular rosacea.Eye problems are sometimes overlooked, so make it a point to tell your healthcare provider if you have redness of the eyes, tearing, blurred vision, sore or gritty feeling eyes.
Rosacea vs. Acne
Many people who have the beginning stages or mild rosacea oftentimes don’t even realize they have the disorder. They chalk up redness to a ruddy complexion, and women may get used to covering it with makeup. Or they assume the papules areadult acne breakoutsand buy anover-the-counter acne treatment. But rosacea and acne do have some distinct differences.
RosaceaDevelops later in life, typically after the age of 30Confined to the center of the face (cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead)Frequent flushing or redness across the forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and neckVisible blood vessels under the skin on the faceThickened skin, especially on the noseAcne VulgarisFirst develops during the teenage yearsCan occur anywhere on the face, neck, back, upper arms, and shouldersDoes not cause flushingDoes not cause visible blood vesselsDoes not cause noticeable thickening of skin
RosaceaDevelops later in life, typically after the age of 30Confined to the center of the face (cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead)Frequent flushing or redness across the forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and neckVisible blood vessels under the skin on the faceThickened skin, especially on the nose
Develops later in life, typically after the age of 30
Confined to the center of the face (cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead)
Frequent flushing or redness across the forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and neck
Visible blood vessels under the skin on the face
Thickened skin, especially on the nose
Acne VulgarisFirst develops during the teenage yearsCan occur anywhere on the face, neck, back, upper arms, and shouldersDoes not cause flushingDoes not cause visible blood vesselsDoes not cause noticeable thickening of skin
First develops during the teenage years
Can occur anywhere on the face, neck, back, upper arms, and shoulders
Does not cause flushing
Does not cause visible blood vessels
Does not cause noticeable thickening of skin
Causes
Healthcare providers still aren’t sure exactly what causes rosacea. But there are a few theories.
Some experts believe that rosacea appears because of sensitive blood vessels that dilate too easily. Other research suggests that theHelicobacter pyloribacterium or the microscopic Demodex mite plays a role.We do know that rosacea tends to run in families.
While we don’t know exactly what causes rosacea, we do know that certain things can trigger rosacea breakouts and make symptoms worse. Common rosacea triggers include:
Emotional stress is another major trigger.
Treatment
Rosacea and acne treatments can be similar.Topical antibioticsprescribed for acne and some acne medications like Finacea (azelaic acid) can also help rosacea.
But don’t try to treat rosacea on your own withover-the-counter acne products. Some can aggravate rosacea and leave your skin feeling even worse.
Rosacea can’t be cured, but it can be successfully controlled. Your best option is to see a dermatologist. Whether you have adult acne or rosacea, your dermatologist will help you create the perfect treatment plan to clear your skin.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zhou M, Xie H, Cheng L, Li J.Clinical characteristics and epidermal barrier function of papulopustular rosacea: A comparison study with acne vulgaris.Pak J Med Sci. 2016;32(6):1344-1348. doi: 10.12669/pjms.326.11236Rainer BM, Kang S, Chien AL.Rosacea: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment.Dermatoendocrinol. 2017;9(1):e1361574. doi: 10.1080/19381980.2017.1361574Reinholz M, Ruzicka T, Steinhoff M, et al.Pathogenesis and clinical presentation of rosacea as a key for a symptom-oriented therapy.J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2016;14 Suppl 6:4-15. doi:10.1111/ddg.13139Gravina A, Federico A, Ruocco E, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection but not small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may play a pathogenic role in rosacea.United European Gastroenterol J. 2015;3(1):17-24. doi:10.1177/2050640614559262
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zhou M, Xie H, Cheng L, Li J.Clinical characteristics and epidermal barrier function of papulopustular rosacea: A comparison study with acne vulgaris.Pak J Med Sci. 2016;32(6):1344-1348. doi: 10.12669/pjms.326.11236Rainer BM, Kang S, Chien AL.Rosacea: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment.Dermatoendocrinol. 2017;9(1):e1361574. doi: 10.1080/19381980.2017.1361574Reinholz M, Ruzicka T, Steinhoff M, et al.Pathogenesis and clinical presentation of rosacea as a key for a symptom-oriented therapy.J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2016;14 Suppl 6:4-15. doi:10.1111/ddg.13139Gravina A, Federico A, Ruocco E, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection but not small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may play a pathogenic role in rosacea.United European Gastroenterol J. 2015;3(1):17-24. doi:10.1177/2050640614559262
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zhou M, Xie H, Cheng L, Li J.Clinical characteristics and epidermal barrier function of papulopustular rosacea: A comparison study with acne vulgaris.Pak J Med Sci. 2016;32(6):1344-1348. doi: 10.12669/pjms.326.11236Rainer BM, Kang S, Chien AL.Rosacea: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment.Dermatoendocrinol. 2017;9(1):e1361574. doi: 10.1080/19381980.2017.1361574Reinholz M, Ruzicka T, Steinhoff M, et al.Pathogenesis and clinical presentation of rosacea as a key for a symptom-oriented therapy.J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2016;14 Suppl 6:4-15. doi:10.1111/ddg.13139Gravina A, Federico A, Ruocco E, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection but not small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may play a pathogenic role in rosacea.United European Gastroenterol J. 2015;3(1):17-24. doi:10.1177/2050640614559262
Zhou M, Xie H, Cheng L, Li J.Clinical characteristics and epidermal barrier function of papulopustular rosacea: A comparison study with acne vulgaris.Pak J Med Sci. 2016;32(6):1344-1348. doi: 10.12669/pjms.326.11236
Rainer BM, Kang S, Chien AL.Rosacea: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment.Dermatoendocrinol. 2017;9(1):e1361574. doi: 10.1080/19381980.2017.1361574
Reinholz M, Ruzicka T, Steinhoff M, et al.Pathogenesis and clinical presentation of rosacea as a key for a symptom-oriented therapy.J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2016;14 Suppl 6:4-15. doi:10.1111/ddg.13139
Gravina A, Federico A, Ruocco E, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection but not small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may play a pathogenic role in rosacea.United European Gastroenterol J. 2015;3(1):17-24. doi:10.1177/2050640614559262
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