Rosacea image spotlight

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of the face, along with a number of other potential symptoms. Let’s take a closer look at rosacea using the five images below.

Image 1

Erythematotelangiectatic and papulopustular rosacea on the cheeks 

This image shows the characteristic facial redness of rosacea, which is often most pronounced on the cheeks. This can occur temporarily (facial flushing) in response to triggers such as sunlight, stress, or spicy food. Over time, longer-lasting redness can also develop and this is often termed erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.

Note, in patients with black or brown skin who have rosacea, redness of the skin may be less obvious. Inflammation sometimes looks purple or darker than the surrounding skin instead of bright red.

In this image, you can also see some red, swollen bumps that look a bit like pimples. This is called papulopustular rosacea, and can be mistaken for acne.

Image 2

Papulopustular and ocular rosacea 

In this image, you can again see the redness on the cheeks, along with red bumps (papulopustular rosacea).

You may also notice some redness of the eyes. This is an example of ocular (eye) rosacea, which affects over half of people with rosacea. People with ocular rosacea may experience dry, itchy, or irritated eyes; blurred vision; or sensitivity to bright lights. Visual loss is rare.

Image 3

 

This image shows a feature of rosacea called rhinophyma. This occurs due to overgrowth of tissue around the nose, which can become bigger and bumpy in texture, particularly around the tip of the nose. It is considered a type of ‘phymatous rosacea’.

Image 4

Rhinophyma (RO-patient2)

This is another example of rhinophyma, which is more common in males.

Another feature that can be associated with rosacea and rhinophyma is evident here: visible blood vessels which look like red or purple lines running across the nose.

Image 5

severe papulopustular rosacea with a rhinophyma (RO-patient3)

This final image shows a number of features of rosacea, including:

• Severe papulopustular rosacea — widespread red, inflamed bumps
• Ocular rosacea — note the redness in the lower half of the left eye
• Rhinophyma, including how it can cause more prominent pores and sebaceous glands and lead to a ‘pitted’ appearance of the nose.

Conclusion

Rosacea can have a variety of appearances in different patients and different skin types.

Types of rosacea (you can have multiple at the same time) include:

• Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (if redness and visible blood vessels are present)
• Papulopustular rosacea
• Ocular rosacea
• Phymatous rosacea (eg, rhinophyma).

For more information about rosacea and its treatment, see our full page on rosacea.