Do Common Rashes and Rosacea Have Different Treatments?
Rashes and rosacea may look similar but have different symptoms and different treatments to help tell them apart. The dermatologists at Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute will help diagnose your rash or rosacea and provide a treatment plan to help gain your confidence back and relieve your symptoms. Learn more about the difference between rosacea and rashes below.
Rosacea Symptoms and Causes
Redness and visible blood vessels on the face are just a few symptoms that hint at having rosacea. Other symptoms include swelling in the cheeks or nose area and swollen red bumps that may contain pus. Occasionally eye symptoms will occur. Dry, irritated and swollen eyes may precede the skin symptoms. Rosacea symptoms may come and go for short or long periods of time, or go away and then come back later. It most commonly affects women, but can also affect men of any age. It also affects those over 30, those with light skin, and those with a family history of rosacea.
How rosacea is caused is not known, but certain factors are believed to contribute to flare-ups. Hot drinks, spicy foods, red wine, sunlight and wind are just a few things to avoid to keep symptoms from appearing. While there is no cure, a dermatologist can help reduce the symptoms you experience. A doctor will look at the symptoms you are experiencing to diagnose rosacea.
Once diagnosed, you may be prescribed a medication to reduce flare-ups. Topical drugs may be provided to reduce redness, but they must be applied regularly to see improvements. Oral antibiotics can help if bumps and pimples appear. An oral acne drug is prescribed in severe cases of rosacea to help clear up lesions left behind from rosacea. Laser therapies are also options in rosacea treatment. They can help reduce redness and enlarged blood vessels. There are also at-home remedies to try. These include avoiding triggers, wearing sunscreen, moisturizing, and not touching your face too much.
Causes and Symptoms of Skin Rashes
Skin rashes are different from rosacea because of where they typically originate. Rashes are often a symptom of medical problems, allergies or irritants. Whereas rosacea is on the face, skin rashes will often appear elsewhere, such as on the arms or legs. The most common skin rash is contact dermatitis. It appears because of an allergy or irritant such as poison ivy. The rash appears to be red, itchy, dry skin. Treatment for all rashes should be determined after the cause of the rash is identified. If the cause is not determined, your treatment may not help, leaving you with the rash longer than you had wanted. If the rash is determined to be contact dermatitis, treatment will include moisturizers and cortisone creams that give itching relief. Be sure to determine what the irritant was that caused the rash so you can avoid it and not experience it again.
If you notice rashes or rosacea forming, reach out to the dermatologists at Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute for a treatment plan by completing this form. We will help diagnose and treat the rash and/or rosacea to help get your skin’s smoothness and color back to normal.