Understanding the Different Types of Rosacea

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes your face to look red or flushed. It can also lead to enlarged blood vessels, small pus-filled bumps, and skin sensitivity throughout your face. 

This skin condition can flare up for weeks or months at a time and is often mistaken for other common skin issues such as acne or dermatitis.

There are four main categories of rosacea, and your symptoms and how you care for it vary depending on the type that you have. While there is no cure for rosacea, there are plenty of management techniques available to lessen the symptoms of your particular rosacea.

At Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street in Washington, DC, our experienced team of dermatologists offers a variety of treatments to help you effectively manage your rosacea. In this blog, we explore the different types of rosacea and how we treat this skin condition.

The different types of rosacea

The kind of rosacea you have depends on where the redness is and what your symptoms are. Let’s take a closer look at each one:

Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR)

The first subtype of rosacea is ETR, and it’s the most common. When you have ETR, you have long-lasting redness on your face along with visible blood vessels. Your skin can also get swollen, sensitive, dry, rough, and scaly.

Papulopustular rosacea

This second subtype of rosacea often affects middle-aged women and can resemble acne breakouts. It causes pus-filled whiteheads and swollen red bumps along with raised patches of skin. You may also notice that your skin is especially oily and sensitive.

Phymatous rosacea

Also referred to as rhinophyma, this third subtype of rosacea is rare and is often accompanied by another type. Phymatous rosacea causes the skin on your nose to thicken and appear bulbous. It can also cause visible blood vessels and large pores.

Ocular rosacea

The fourth type of rosacea affects the eye area. It can lead to bloodshot eyes that feel gritty and dry. You may also have eye irritation, burning, and stinging and you may even develop cysts on your eyelids.

How is rosacea treated?

The type of treatment that will work best for you depends greatly on the kind of rosacea you have and how severe it is. 

One of the best things you can do to control symptoms and eliminate severe flare-ups is to avoid triggers. Rosacea flare-ups can often be caused by certain ingredients in skincare products such as witch hazel, alcohol, menthol, and exfoliating substances. Other common rosacea triggers include sun exposure, spicy food, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. 

Other treatments our team at Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street can prescribe include oral medication, topical creams, and laser therapy. For expert rosacea diagnosis and treatment, call our office at 202-955-6995 or schedule an appointment online.