Question

I have some red pimples on the top of my nose, and now it looks as if I have a red nose. What can this be, and what can I do?

Answer

Quite commonly men and women in their30s and 40s report such symptoms, especially in the summer months -a red nose, that may spread to the cheeks and forehead. The diagnosis is usually rosacea.

The cause is unknown. It especially affects people with fair-skin, blue eyes and of Celtic origin. Rosacea used to be called "acne rosacea" but it is quite different from acne. The red spots and pustules are dome-shaped rather than pointed and there are no blackheads, whiteheads, deep cysts, or lumps.

Symptoms are often aggravated by sun exposure and hot and spicy food or drink. The skin may be very sensitive to make-up, sunscreens and facial creams.

If you believe that you may have Rosacea, the first thing to do is to see your dermatologist. Many of the symptoms of Rosacea could be the result of other ailments. As always when dealing with this sort of situation, professional advice should be your first course of action.

Although there is currently no cure, many things that can be done to bring the disease under control and minimize the symptoms and also to prevent the disease from progressing further.

A dermatologist will likely prescribe a combination of oral antibiotics and the use of antibiotic gel as initial treatment; this is to bring the condition under control, and then topical treatments will be continued to keep the symptoms under control.

Links

• National Rosacea Society