Organic Skin Care Products

Subtypes and symptoms

There are four identified Rosacea subtypes and patients may have more than one subtype present.

Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea:

Permanent redness (erythema) with a tendency to flush and blush easily. It is also common to have small blood vessels visible near the surface of the skin (telangiectasias) and possibly burning or itching sensations.

Papulopustular rosacea:

Some permanent redness with red bumps (papules) with some pus filled (pustules) (which typically last 1-4 days); this subtype can be easily confused with acne.

Phymatous Rosacea:

This subtype is most commonly associated with rhinophyma, an enlargement of the nose. Symptoms include thickening skin, irregular surface nodularities, and enlargement. Phymatous Rosacea can also affect the chin (gnatophyma), forehead (metophyma), cheeks, eyelids (blepharophyma), and ears (otophyma). Small blood vessels visible near the surface of the skin (telangiectasias) may be present.

Ocular Rosacea:

Red, dry and irritated eyes and eyelids. Some other symptoms include foreign body sensations, itching and burning.

There have been other descriptive terms applied to presentations of rosacea, but these are not formally accepted as subtypes of rosacea:

Granulomatous Rosacea.

The rare and severely scarring Rosacea fulminans (pyoderma faciale) occurring exclusively in women after adolescence and most commonly in their early 20s.

Perioral dermatitis

which is better described as periorificial dermatitis, but similarly treated with topical metronidazole.

Persistent edema of Rosacea.

Rosacea Conglobata.

Persisting redness and oedema of the upper half of the face has been termed Morbihan disease. Rosacea sufferers often report periods of depression stemming from cosmetic disfigurement, painful burning sensations, and decreases in quality of life.