What are the causes of facial redness?

1. Rosacea is a common cause of facial redness. This generally manifests with diffuse facial redness, flushing, red papules and pustules.

2. Facial telangiectasias. These are dilated red capillaries which occur in people who spend a lot of time outdoors but who have no other manifestations of rosacea. These types of dilated visible capillaries are also seen in smokers without other signs of rosacea.

3. Keratosis Pilaris Rubra which is an underrecognised condition which Dr. Joe Murphy feels is actually quite common in Ireland. It often manifests in childhood and is generally encountered as a diffuse facial redness affecting the cheeks especially. It is usually associated with typical keratosis pilaris bumps on the external aspect of the upper arms and is usually hereditary.

4. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common condition causing a scaly red facial eruption often affecting the eyebrows, glabella, nasolabial folds, beard area and scalp. It can have an orange-pink hue. It often affects young men and sometimes women around menopause and also infants.

5. Other skin conditions that we’ve also seen as a cause of facial redness are common conditions such as acne, perioral dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, sebopsoriasis, allergic reactions, lupus and rarer conditions such as dermatomyositis, Sézary syndrome, mastocytosis, pityriasis rubra pilaris.

What is the treatment of facial redness?

The treatment of facial redness is complex. Dr. Joe Murphy has spent the past 30 years studying and researching the treatment of facial redness. Treatment depends on the cause. Initially this involves controlling the underlying inflammation, identifying triggers and then using lasers to treat the physical component of the condition i.e. using lasers to remove the abnormal veins. Laser treatment of facial redness is complex and involves the skilled use of a combination of lasers namely Sciton BBL Heroic, Sciton Clearsilk and Candela Vbeam. Each laser treats the excess vasculature (blood vessels) at a different level in the skin.