Rosacea has a variety of symptoms and signs. They vary from one person to another. You may have one or more of the following symptoms:
Flushing, redness —At first, you flush and blush a lot. It may look like a blush or sunburn, and gradually it becomes more noticeable and persistent. Your facial skin may get very dry and thick. Your skin may also feel burning, swollen or warm.
Pink bumps or pimples —Small, red, solid bumps or pus-filled bumps, like acne, appear on your face as the disease progresses. This is sometimes referred to as “adult acne.”
Red lines, small blood vessels on the face —You may notice small, thin red lines on your face, particularly your cheeks. These lines are called telangiectasia, which are dilated (enlarged) blood vessels just under your skin. Your skin may become slightly swollen and warm.
Redness, burning, and tearing of the eyes —You may experience redness, burning, tearing, and the sensation of a foreign body or sand in your eyes. Your eyelids may become infected, inflamed, and swollen. Some people complain of blurry vision. In severe cases of rosacea a person’s vision may become impaired.
Nasal bumps —If rosacea is left untreated, some people (especially men) may develop knobby bumps on the nose or an enlarged bulbous nose—the so-called rhinophyma.
Other findings — You may also have dry and rough skin, raised red patches (plaques), facial sewlling, an skin thickening. They may also appear on the neck, chest, scalp or ears.
Common rosacea triggers may include:
Rosacea. DermNet New Zealand website. Available at: https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/rosacea. Updated June 2014. Accessed December 22, 2017.
Rosacea. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116224/Rosacea. June 8, 2017. Accessed December 22, 2017.
Rosacea: Signs and symptoms. American Academy of Dermatology website. Available at: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne-and-rosacea/rosacea#symptoms. Accessed December 22, 2017.
Rosacea: What are the symptoms? National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders website. Available at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/rosacea#tab-symptoms. Accessed December 22, 2017.
Last reviewed November 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP Last Updated: 12/20/2014