Acne or Rosacea?

Acne and rosacea are different skin conditions.

Redness and breakouts on your face could mean that you have acne, but not always. A skin condition called rosacea can cause acne-like breakouts and redness.

This picture can help you tell the difference between these two common skin conditions.

What is acne?

Our skin contains sebaceous glands that produce sebum, a fatty substance that protects the skin against dehydration, pathogens and irritants. The sebaceous glands can become clogged and inflamed, creating pimples. We call this acne. The symptoms are red bumps, white pimples and blackheads. Besides on the face, it can also occur on other parts of the body, such as the neck, back and chest. If you don’t take good care of the acne skin or if you scratch it, the skin can become irritated and scarring can occur. Acne is especially common in people between 15 and 25 years of age.

What is rosacea?

With rosacea there is redness in the face, especially on the nose and cheeks. It is common by people who naturally have dry skin. The redness is caused by the expansion of blood vessels. It can also be accompanied by pimples, which makes rosacea sometimes confused with acne. Rosacea usually occurs at a later age than acne, namely after thirty years. The cause of rosacea is unknown. Certain factors can aggravate rosacea, for example:

• Heat
• Sunlight
• Cosmetics
• Alcohol
• Strongly spiced food
• Certain medications, such as medications with corticosteroids
• Remarkably, about 50% of people with rosacea also suffer from eye complaints, such as dry, burning or watery eyes.

The main differences between acne and rosacea

Acne is mainly characterized by pimples, while the main characteristic of rosacea is redness. Furthermore, acne usually begins at a younger age (between 15 and 25 years) than rosacea, which usually occurs after the age of 30. Another difference is that acne can leave scars, which is not the case with rosacea. Both acne and rosacea sometimes have a chronic character. The right treatments and advice can calm the skin, so the symptoms stay away for a longer period of time. It is important that the doctor or dermatologist makes the correct diagnosis so that the problem is treated properly.