Rosacea

Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that causes facial redness, flushing, broken blood vessels, and sometimes small pus-filled bumps — mainly on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It is more commonly recognised in fair skin but also occurs in Indian skin, where it is often under-diagnosed or mistaken for acne.

Main features

• Persistent or intermittent flushing and redness of central face.
• Visible small blood vessels (telangiectasia) on cheeks and nose.
• Papules and pustules resembling acne — but no blackheads.
• Eye involvement (ocular rosacea) — gritty, dry, red eyes, styes.
• Rhinophyma (thickened, bumpy nose) — rare, usually in older men.

Common triggers

• Sunlight and heat.
• Spicy food, alcohol (especially wine), hot beverages.
• Stress, intense exercise in heat.
• Strong topical cosmetics and astringents, alcohol-based toners.
• Topical steroid creams — can cause a "steroid rosacea" that is very hard to treat once established.

Treatment

• Avoid triggers — sun (daily sunscreen), heat, spicy food, alcohol, hot drinks.
• Gentle skin care — mild cleanser, fragrance-free moisturiser, no scrubs.
• Prescription creams (several evidence-based options).
• Low-dose oral antibiotic class for papules/pustules.
• Pulsed-dye laser or IPL for visible vessels.
• Stop any fairness / clobetasol-containing cream — steroid rosacea needs supervised weaning.

See a doctor

• Persistent central facial redness that isn't going away.
• Pimple-like eruption without blackheads, especially with flushing.
• Gritty, red eyes with facial redness.
• Red/burning face after fairness-cream use.