Is It Acne Or Rosacea: How Can You Tell The Difference

You seem to be developing red bumps and pimples across your cheeks.  It looks a lot like acne, but not quite, because there appears to be some additional redness on your cheeks as well.  Is it acne?  Could it be rosacea?  How can you tell?
Distinguishing rosacea from acne isn’t always easy and a dermatologist is really the right person to make the diagnosis.    When acne is diagnosed, treatment often involves antibiotics to reduce the population of bacteria called p. acnes in the skin.  When rosacea is diagnosed, treatment targets inflammation because this disease is not caused by bacteria.  Some systemic antibiotics reduce inflammation, in addition to treating infections. Antibiotics have been used for both acne and rosacea but for different reasons!

According to Dr. James Q. Del Rosso, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, Nevada, the red bumps and pimples of both skin conditions are identical in appearance.  Dr. Del Rosso points out that while acne and rosacea often appear identical there are some key differences.  He explains that rosacea usually starts in adulthood (after around age 25), whereas acne usually starts around puberty or shortly thereafter. Although redness around the pimple or bump appears with both acne and rosacea, rosacea is often associated with a background (of varying severity) of diffuse “rouge-colored” redness, predominantly affecting the central part of the face. Acne often affects the body, as well as the face. Rosacea does not.  Acne often features comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), while rosacea does not.

If you’re in doubt about what’s going on with your skin, visit a dermatologist sooner than later to help address rosacea in its earliest stages.  For more information also check out www.oracea.com