WHAT IS ACNE ROSACEA?

The term "acne rosacea" first appeared in an English medical text by Dr. Thomas Bateman in 1812, who noted: "The perfect cure of acne rosacea is, in fact, never accomplished." Other 19th century references commonly listed rosacea among the different forms of acne. By 1891, Dr. Henri G. Piffard, a professor of dermatology in New York, called for distinctions among different forms of acne to more truly differentiate symptoms.

Today, dermatologists have learned that rosacea is a different disease from acne, and that therapy for acne can often make rosacea worse. Although the precise cause of rosacea is still an entity to many, most experts believe it is a vascular disorder that seems to be related to the flushing of rosacea. Advances in rosacea research have also dispelled the centuries-old myth that rosacea is caused by heavy consumption of alcohol. While alcohol may aggravate rosacea, the symptoms of rosacea can be just as severe in one who never consumes alcohol.

Acne rosacea is a misleading term: rosacea and acne are two entirely different conditions, although they can and do appear together. Clogged skin pores and bacterial infections cause acne. Rosacea occurs when blood vessels move to just below the skin's surface, leading to blotchy red patches. These blotches fade and then return, becoming more permanent over time. Many of the harsher products and treatments used in the treatment of acne can lead to the on set or progression of rosacea.

The blackheads, whiteheads and pimples associated with acne are not associated with rosacea. Rosacea papules, which are red bumps that do not contain pus are quite different from acne pimples. These papules are usually solid and hard. The papules range in size from small bumps that resemble the measles or chicken pox, all the way to larger, penny-shaped nodules. Left untreated, larger nodules can cause rhinophyma. Rhinophyma is a form of rosacea that is characterized by chronic redness, inflammation, and increased tissue growth of the nose. Rhinophyma can take on many different forms. In most forms, the nose is chronically red and inflamed. There is also evidence of swelling, and the skin often shows thickened skin with large pores, resembling the peel of an orange (peau d' orange). In some forms, sebaceous gland hypertrophy and hyperplasia (increased growth and number of sebaceous glands) can cause the nose to grow considerably, resulting in a bulbous appearance.