RED CHEEKS

I have a very annoying and distressing problem-I have red cheeks
I know that some people are born with such complexions and can deal with that
What I cannot deal with is the constant flaring up of my face where my face feels and looks like a beacon--when this happens I just want to hide
These hot flushes or flare-ups can come on for no apparent reason--for example when sitting down in a warm environment(a pub for example--no drink consumed!!) or for a warm meal
It seems to happen predominantly when sitting down
It can also just occur with no apparent link to the environment-for example when sitting in front of the computer
These flare-ups can last up to 2 hours until my face returns to its normal color
It would not be so bad if I couldn't constantly feel my face-by this I mean that i'm always aware of a warm sensation in my cheeks and when they flare up I can feel the blood pumping around my face
I am a healthy sporty 22 year old man and so hope you can help me-i can't live like this anymore
Could it be hormonal?? Allergy to a food?
(i avoid alcohol,hot fluids spices) Inadequate cooling mechanism??? Poor circulation??(i have cold hands and feet)
or somrthing else??
If you could help me i Would be for ever grateful--then maybe i can start to live
please help
my email is ***@****

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Tim:

The first thing you ought to do is consult a dermatologist, who can recommend treatment for rosacea.  It is at least possible that using both oral and topical (external) antibiotics for a time will mitigate your problem to some extent.

The second thing is for you to realize that your self-consciousness, while not unique or inappropriate  (many peop,e with similar complexions share it) is out of proportion both to the severity of your condition, and the likelihood of treatment being able to help it.  In other words, you are to at least some extent going to have to come to terms with living with some or all of the redness and flushing.  Avoiding things which trigger redness (alcohol, caffeine, spices, heat) may help a bit, though obviously it's not possible or even desirable to avoid all of these all the time.  If you were a woman, I would recommend green-tinted makeup, which blocks redness, but in our culture men almost never agree to use this.

If your redness is constraining your life to the extent you intimate, you ought to consider seeking counseling.  Medical help is going to be able to go only so far.

Good luck.

Dr. R

[Paul]

there must be something someone can do for this poor boy
aren't there other symptoms associated with rosacea?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Paul:

That's precisely the point--there are other symptoms associated with rosacea, like pimples and pustules.  When these are absent, rosacea treatment is not helpful at all.

Dr. R

[Sara]

how can this man stop the flushing so????
there must be something someone can do!!!!!!
can rosacea treatments help if only the red face (minus the spots and pustules )occurs????
this man sounds like he desperately wants help

[paul t ,MA]

i have the same problem as you have
to date i have not been able to find an effective treatment
it too is causing me massive distress
if you findd anything that helps please post it here-i will do likewise
yours sincerely

[Stan]

i've encountered the same problem only recently (32 yrs old).  doctors and creams don't seem to be much of a help.  a radical stopgap until a real solution comes along is to lightly dye your cheeks green with henna paste (12.95 @ bodyartsupply.com).  this will dull the red a bit and last for a couple of weeks at a time.  

please post any additional findings here and good luck...

[timlinch]

a dermatologist has diagnosed me as having a rare skin condition called ulerythema ophryogenes
He recommended a cream called lacticare as a moisturer but suggested laser treatment as an option which i am ging to try
Hope this is of some help Stan

[Stan]

what type of laser treatment?  let me know how it goes and good luck with it...

[John]

I have red areas on my cheek constantly, i have seen a doctor and they said that the veins have burst and there is not much i can do. I also get an itchy face and sometimes the red seems to be  worce  when i drink alcohol and  at other times. Is there anyway to repair the little veins in my cheeks and nose.

[Damien]

This sounds like something which i suffer from although i have been told that it is escema, i have only suffered from this for a year so i would be grateful for any advice

[Trick...]

dude, I got the same problem! It sucks I know. I'm a few years older than you, and it's been going on since my junior year in high school. I don't know how to fix it. All I can can say is put behind you and be your self. If someone says somthing about it, just make them feel sorry for you or tell them your tring to fix it. If they don't like it tell them to F**K off. But if you do find somthing let me know because this has screwed my life to.

[Tim]

I have read through many of the postings for "red face" because I also have this problem.  So far, the only real solution seams to be laser treatment, but there hasn't been any detail posted about this.  Where does someone go (websites?), what does it cost?  Let's get some info out there.  
I hate this condition as much as the rest of you.  Let's try to find an answer.

[Herb]

I know how you all feel.  I am tired of living like this, with people I constantly staring at my face or asking me why my cheeks are all red?  Although I have been trying to find a solution to this problem for four years, I am becoming less hopefull all the time.  If I find anything you can be sure I'll post it here.

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[Bradisrad]

Ya I'm 17 and I've had red cheeks for a few years. Lots of people have it in my family. They say it comes from the Indian and Irish side of the fam. If you think of your redness as a part of you then it won't bother you. Trust me. When someone asks about them all I say is "I'm Irish" and then they say something like "oh cool". I was hella shy cus of it for a while but now I'm fine. I acctually embrace it and make it part of me and people truely like it. I have a good relationship with almost everyone i know now X)

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