Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAcne Vulgaris vs. Acne RosaceaCausesTreating Acne VulgarisTreating Acne RosaceaPreventionSeeking Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Acne Vulgaris vs. Acne Rosacea
Causes
Treating Acne Vulgaris
Treating Acne Rosacea
Prevention
Seeking Medical Care
Nose acne is the redness or discoloration, pimples,blackheads, andwhiteheadsthat occur on and around your nose. The problem can impact your skin health and increase your risk of scarring. It can also damage your emotional health and self-esteem.
Nose acne is often linked toacne vulgaris, commonly known as acne, oracne rosacea, commonly known as rosacea. While these problems can be confused with each other, they are distinct diseases.
This article describes nose acne, its causes, and treatments. It also explains ways to prevent breakouts and when to consult a healthcare provider for treatment.
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Could Your Acne Really Be Rosacea?
Is It Acne Vulgaris or Acne Rosacea?
Even though the two conditions are not related, acne vulgaris and acne rosacea can be easily confused with one another, especially if you are trying to self-diagnose nose acne. Understanding the common symptoms and appearance of each condition can help you determine the cause of your problem.
While acne vulgaris typically appears during your teenage years, it can occur at any age.The condition primarily affects your face but can also develop on your back, chest, and shoulders.
There are two main types of acne vulgaris: noninflammatory and inflammatory, as follows:
Noninflammatory Acne
Common symptoms of noninflammatory acne are:
An Overview of Comedonal Acne
Inflammatory Acne
Common symptoms of inflammatory acne include:
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that typically begins any time after age 30. While it is more common in women, it tends to be more severe in men. It primarily affects your central facial area with the following symptoms:
The following secondary symptoms of rosacea may occur with any of the more common signs of the disease:
Types of Pimples and How to Treat Them
What Causes Nose Acne?
Understanding the causes of nose acne and who is more likely to develop acne vulgaris vs. acne rosacea can help you determine why your nose acne is occurring.
Acne Vulgaris Causes
Acne occurs whenpores(tiny holes on the surface of your skin) become clogged. Each pore opens to a follicle containing a hair and asebaceous (oil) gland.
Pores can become blocked with a mixture of oil and skin cells, creating a plug or comedone, which appears as a blackhead or whitehead on your nose. If bacteria become trapped in the plug, your immune system can trigger an inflammatory reaction that results in a nose pimple.
Acne is more likely to develop in people with overactive oil glands, producing excessive oil.While anyone can get acne, it typically occurs in teens and young adults, especially males. When acne occurs in adulthood, it is more common in women.
Certain factors can make your skin oiler and trigger acne:
While eating certain foods like chocolate and pizza does not cause acne, research suggests that dairy products, refined carbohydrates, and other foods with a high glycemic index (foods that are quickly digested and absorbed, which causes a spike in blood sugar) may worsen the symptoms of existing acne cases.
Acne commonly occurs on the nose because it is part of the T-zone, the T-shaped area across your forehead and down your nose.
According to acne face mapping, a process that identifies the source of acne breakouts on different parts of your face, nose acne occurs here because this area tends to have larger sebaceous glands and pores than other areas of your face. The larger pores allow more space for oil and bacteria to become trapped.
Rosacea Causes
While the exact cause of rosacea is unknown, it is known that the condition runs in families, which may indicate a genetic component. Other potential causes being researched include:
Rosacea is more common among the following groups:
Why Am I Breaking Out?
How to Treat Acne Vulgaris
Treating acne vulgaris often involves combining treatments designed to fight acne while promoting healthy skin.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe one of the following prescription retinoids if OTC treatments do not provide adequate results:
Treatment of inflammatory acne usually involves taking oral acne medications. Often, these oral medications are used in combination with nonprescription or prescription topical drugs.
Oral acne medications include the following:
Antibioticsstop the growth of bacteria and reduce inflammation; they include:
Isotretinointreats a severe form of acne vulgaris and includes the brand namesAbsorica, Accutane, Claravis, and Myorisan.
Hormonal treatments for women stop the effects ofandrogenson the sebaceous gland. Combinedoral contraceptivesinclude:
When inflammatory acne is attributed tohormonal causes, Winlevi (clascoterone), a topical treatment for the hormonal causes of acne in males and females, may be prescribed.
The following in-office treatments may be appropriate if you have severe acne or acne scarring that does not improve with topical or oral medications:
How to Treat Acne Rosacea
Medications
Generally, you will get the best results from consulting your healthcare provider or a dermatologist because some OTC medications can irritate symptoms of rosacea. The following medications are used to treat rosacea:
Alternative Therapies
Rosacea can also affect your eyelids, causing ocular rosacea. Treatment for these symptoms can include:
How to Prevent Future Flare-Ups or Breakouts
While you may not be able to prevent nose acne completely, you can take steps to reduce your risk of getting future flare-ups or breakouts after clearing a case of nose acne. The strategies to promote clear skin depend on the cause of your nose acne.
It’s also important to simplify your skincare routine. Avoid products that contain the following ingredients:
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
The only reliable way to address rosacea is to consult your healthcare provider or a dermatologist, who can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a treatment plan to address your symptoms.
Getting an accurate diagnosis is important because facial redness, which is one of the identifying characteristics of rosacea, is also a symptom of other diseases, includingsystemic lupuserythematosus(SLE) andcarcinoid syndrome. In addition, mistaking the condition for acne and using over-the-counter acne remedies to treat it can make your symptoms worse.
Contact your healthcare provider or a dermatologist if you have any of the following warning signs of rosacea:
It can be more difficult to determine when to contact a healthcare provider about acne. With so many over-the-counter treatments available, it’s natural to believe that you can treat the condition on your own. However, in many cases, OTC acne treatments may not be adequate to address your symptoms.
A healthcare provider can provide prescription-strength topical and oral medications that may be more appropriate for your symptoms. Contact your healthcare provider or a dermatologist if you are dealing with acne that involves any of the following problems:
Summary
Knowing the cause of your nose acne is the first step in improving symptoms and avoiding recurrence. While acne vulgaris and acne rosacea can appear alike, they have distinct causes. This means they require different treatments and methods to prevent them from coming back.
Treatment for both causes of nose acne includes a wide range of topical and oral options that can be targeted to your symptoms. In-office treatments can provide stronger options when other choices don’t work.
Contact your healthcare provider if you have nose acne that doesn’t respond to over-the-counter treatments. A healthcare provider or dermatologist can find the cause of your nose acne and the best way to treat it. Getting the right treatment can improve the physical and psychological effects of nose acne so you can look and feel like yourself faster.
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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.
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