Causes of my red cheeks - when it's not Rosacea / Killaratosis Pillaris?

[J1992]

[18 Year Old Male]

5ft 10, 172lbs, 8% BF - Just to let you know im not overweight, very active, bodybuild and do not have any other obvious healthproblems.

Hi,

To keep the story short I currently have quite frequent episodes of redness in the cheeks only - this has been occuring since about November 2008 ( I started sixth form in September) and has kind of gotten worse in the sense the redness in the cheeks was at first very vague but has now gotten more prominent. The redness in the cheeks coincided with my first spot(s) which where whiteheads e.t.c commonly associated with puberty i.e 16-18 years old.

Basically the redness is only in my cheeks, not anywhere else on my body and can vary to the extent of how much of the cheek it takes up. There are no bumps on my face or anywhere else and there are also no visible blood vessels or dots of sporadic redness, its more or less a complete area only vaguely fading near the mouth area and near the side burns.

I originally believed this was to do with my regular spicy chicken I used to have at every night-time meal , however I have since stopped that habbit a good year ago as well as completely eradicating salt and dairy from my diet plus more water - to no avail. I then thought it may have something to do with the harsh soap I was using as a cleanser however since changing that I havent really noticed much difference - However... in the summer of this year (2010) I honestly cant remember a flare up or occassion I noticed any redness, I guess my tan covered it up perhaps? I only seem to take note of my redness when I feel flushes or hot which occured alot areound December to March of 2009/2010/2011 - similarily when in a hot room/ class room I used to get very hot (High body temperature?) and would notice my face getting pinker/redder.

I originally though I had Rosacea as it was one of the first results from searching redness/flushing in google however pictures such as this one:
flickrDOTcom/photos/djelpern/15445932/

Seem more common to my experince except my redness is not as bad / dosent extend to the eye brows side of head and dosent have visible capilaries or spots. Further more I workout 2x a day which has increased in intensity and duration from 2008 onwards - although I still worked-out prior to 2008 as well, I also used to tan alot however from 2008 my tanning decreased due to college and overall less personal time.

I would really appreciate some feedback from all you experinced members.

P.s When im cold my redness completely subsides - perhaps I have an allergy, other disease/ eczema? I have not had a formal medical diagnosis as of yet, however I have been to the doctors whereby the asked me to do a uring test which I eventually did not return as my redness kind of subsided at that time (April 2010).

I eat lots of tuna, porridge, rice milk, chicken, eggs and fruit, in addition to omega 3, zinc, multivitamic and water.

ALSO in alot of recent pictures it seems my mouth area - chin to lower cheeks is alot lighter/ whiter than my cheeks / forehead so it strikes a large, noticable contrast in my skin tone. I also do not sweat on my face / have not done since my redness began, leading me to think that my redness is a sign of my face unable to cool itself down.

Here are a few pictures doctor:

img513.imageshack.us/i/2008z.jpg/ ---------- (No Redness) 2008, September
img412.imageshack.us/f/2008veryflushed.jpg/ ---------- (First Redness) 2008, November
img255.imageshack.us/f/2008flushed.jpg/ ---------- (More Redness) 2008, Decemeber
img163.imageshack.us/f/2009v.jpg/ ---------- (Redness) 2009, Summer
img813.imageshack.us/f/2011he.jpg/ ---------- (Redness) 2011, Winter


Thanks in advanced,

J.

[Maryh20]

Gluten... n get a filtering shower head. Winter time ur skin loses 25% of its moisture.  So keep unnatural heat off of you,  drink water, use a hypoallergenic lay off the gluten and try and get a tan to cover it up.  

[meecepeece]

I also have almost exactly the same thing as many on here! I am Hispanic and Southern Italian, 41 year old female, who has light skin, very light for someone of my heritage, I look white.I also have asthma and am overweight due to prednisone, but I eat well and have recently quit eating meat, which has not helped.  I have a bright red spot on each cheek that is hot to the touch and comes and goes, but when I am ill with something different it is not there as much. Some days I wake up with red cheeks, other days nothing. Nothing I do seems to alter it. I also have a V shaped red area right in my center upper chest thats hot to the touch, and never goes away. I have upper arm skin issues and upper stomach gas and bloating issues along with the redness, just like others do. I want to know whats happening to us! I too have to sleep with fans and air blowing right on me or I get hot spits on my chest or face. A few days a month my cheeks go back to normal.

[Lazzy123]

Has anyone ever looked into lupus sounds like the symptoms to me.  See your dermatologist or Rumatologist.

[manti92]

Any update

[nzquasiold]

I have similar problems, with bright red(has gotten worse lately, I look sunburnt in those areas) cheeks & forehead, and a clear boundary around my eye sockets. Likewise I feel hot in these areas. Sometimes feel fevery, especially if I exercise too vigorously. I also need to drink a lot more than I used to.
Only had these issues since a root canal.
Even my blood pressure & heart rate went up after this.
I think it's extremely likely to be a chronic infection, probably in the sinuses as it matches where I get red/hot. Have had this issue for years now, but the doctors are thoroughly useless here (except for a temporary dr from the USA who wanted me to have a fluids test at hospital, but my current dr just acts like its nothing).
Anyway, I hope this is of help to someone, as perhaps some peoples issues may be related to infection/sinuses.

[SMarcum]

Has anyone gotten any answers about this?...I have been dealing with extremely red hot cheeks for 5 months now...they burn and sting in the heat..I have to sleep with a fan on my face to feel comfortable...Ive been to numerous doctors and have gotten no answers...I have a 9 month old so this is a real problem for me...because I cant play outside with her in the summer...please if anyone has any answers post them here...I cant take the burning anymore...

[chrisx82]

I really feel for you, I can't be in the sun for too long or my skin gets bright red in my cheeks , chest and tops of my shoulders, my face stings and burn at the slightest heat, I have sensitive skin and I've had rosy cheeks as long as I can remember, it really does affect my confidence, anytime I check up my symptoms it's saying rosacea!!

[Pkay71]

I would like to know if anyone has gotten any answers? Thanks!

[muffn43]

Has anyone thought it may be due to allergies.  Seasonal allergies for me causes my cheeks to become red. I hate it!!

[Prettyredgirl]

I've had the exact same problem since I was 17. I am now 33. Im hispanic female with fair skin. 5'3 and 145lbs. The redness began on my cheeks and slowly spread down my neck and chest. I dont always get red on the cheeks. I also get red on my legs and atms. What i have learned is that it is due to my anxiety. I seem to get red on my chest when I'm nervous, anxious, in the sun, heat, feeling hot, angry, scratch or embarrassed. I have read that antihistamines and beta blockers have helped a few people. I have not tried either one. I have noticed alcohol, caffeine and sugar make it worse and have noticed it less when eating absolutely very light. Spicy foods can make your body hot, which can affect the redness on the skin.

[WEhave6]

YES!! Exactly!! I've been eating Gluten Free for about 2 years and this started when I changed my diet... but the white bumpy stuff on my arms cleared up!! WHAT the heck!? Also, since the diet change, my gut still gets very bloated (where I look pregnant) then my face flares up again. I get low grade fevers and feel very flu like plus when my cheeks are not "glowing bright red" they're very dry and flaky. I believe it's an ingredient used commonly in GF foods but I'm not sure how to go about narrowing it down. :(

[FilipSi]

Hi everyone,

Im 23 years old and have the same skin condition a lot of u describe. I get red cheeks with quite a sharp contrast to my naturally fair skin tone. I do get less and more the redness sometimes none, also the cheeks usually get red asymmetrically. Also when I'm sick i don't get it.

The area it shows in is very similar to j1992s area, does not cross over to sideburns, at the top its like 2cm under the eye and it stops at about 3cm from mouth and nose. The redness doesn't cross below my jawbone. It never shows anywhere else.

I've have the condition since at least puberty, don't think I had it before that. I do get comments about it although rarely and it would be nice to find a cure or treatment for it.

I'm not sure what triggers it (duh...) but usually like many of you mentioned, at cold and hot temperatures. When the redness occur my cheeks are hot but they are not hotter then the rest of my face. I don't get any kind of effects beside them being red. Like j1992 mentioned, i too when i stretch the skin in the red area regain normal skin tone momentarily, it goes straight back to red when unstretched.

The the things that bothers me the most is the asymmetry of the redness, the contrast to my fair/pale skin and of course the redness itself.

Like one of you mentioned, i too have kind of irritated skin on both of my arms in the triceps area. What i mean is the hair growth is kinda strange and i do have a lot of red/brown/black hair follicles, never anything major. Not sure of the connection but thought it was worth mentioning.

Also i have no known allergies except a minor one for dogs and cats. I do not eat a lot of veggies and fruit although i do eat some.

Regards,
Filip

[Girlwiththeredface]

It's relieving to hear about all the stories that are similar to mine, even though I know how uncomfortable and painful it can get! This has been going on for two weeks straight, my cheeks are constantly flushed and it feels like they are on fire. I went to the doctor and she doesn't have any suggestions. I hve fair skin, always had issues with redness but never a flare up like this. I've eliminated coffee and alcohol so far, but to no avail. It's hard having to go into work full time when you want to rip your face off. Just weird that it happened out of the blue, without adding anything new to my daily routine.

[91Mouse]

I too am concerned about my excessively rosey cheeks.  In the past two months I've had a number of lady friends politely suggest to me that I maybe be wearing just a touch too much rouge - except I'm not.
At first I thought it was a bit of wind burn, my cheeks actually hurt and I do spend a lot of time outdoors, but I became concerned after a few days spent indoors with no improvement.  My cheeks are just as red on rising as they are at bedtime.  
It is not menopause, as I did that over fifteen years ago and never did have the hot flashes my friends all suffered.  
It is not over heating on exercise, because the redness is there in the morning and does not seem to change after my power walk.
I do experience red burning cheeks with alcohol consumption, particularly red wine, however they are red and sore now and I have not had anything alcoholic in three days.  For this reason I thought there might be a liver problem or pernicious anemia but I don't have any other symptoms.  In fact the only symptom I have is night sweats which I have had for many years.  The redness in my face appeared only in January.  
I actually welcome the ruddy look on my cheeks since I have always been extremely pale, needed to stay out of the sun to avoid burn, but I really want to know what the cause is - if it is something I should be worried about.

[allyeve]

I've dealt with chronic red cheeks since I was a kid while I still have no clue what causes it a trick I've learned to temporarily fix it is getting redness relief eye drops and lightly massaging the drops on my cheeks with in 5 minutes the red is gone. It usually lasts all day and from my experience it's best used underneath your moisturizer you want your cheeks to "fill up" on the drops. Being a look conscience girl it's definitely helped save me embarrassment! Let me know if anyone tries this I'm curious~

[allyeve]

I've dealt with chronic red cheeks since I was a kid while I still have no clue what causes it a trick I've learned to temporarily fix it is getting redness relief eye drops and lightly massaging the drops on my cheeks with in 5 minutes the red is gone. It usually lasts all day and from my experience it's best used underneath your moisturizer you want your cheeks to "fill up" on the drops. Being a look conscience girl it's definitely helped save me embarrassment! Let me know if anyone tries this I'm curious~

[Jonasman]

I have the same thing, been dealing with it my entire life, i am now 27 and seems to get worse as time goes on. tried all types of rosacea meds. they don't work.

I am very active and in shape.

Gets worse from december to march. cold climate, Idaho
This past summer i actually was doing very well probably the best in years! the redness almost wasn't there. I was eating a orange a day, eggs and turkey bacon morning and salads and other good things for lunch and dinner. as healthy as i could. I was having milk and gluten free cereals. i did stay away from gluten. and was taking regular vitamins.
Then I went through breakup with a girlfriend, the cold hit (November- december) i was stressed. BOOM! Flushed all the time. i freaked kinda. and i was now determined to find a solution. for my red flushed stupid face.

I have been on about every type of diet. gluten, vegan, no carb, paleo, the elimination diet, and now a histamine free diet. What does seem to work, is if i fast. the redness goes away. but I'm very weak, DUH

The histamine free diet kinda seems like it is working. And one way to see if you are histamine intolerant is if you flush after any alcohol then you may have something to do with histamines. I always flush after a drink. And antihistamine do wonders. i just would not like to be on them as it seems to make me very hungry all the time, almost to the point where i can't get anything done and my moods are not so great either.

Also i have been noticing that showers cause a different type of flush? more of a rash on the sides of my cheeks?? something in the water? i don't take hot showers and sometimes will actually take a cold shower to cool my body down. it actually helps allot with the flushing.

good luck to all! May we find a solution!

and please. To the people that don't think its a big deal.JUST DONT COMMENT.

[angel255]

Have you figured out what this is?> I have developed the exact same thing you are describing -its been 4 months for me. I dont know what to do. thanks for any advice. I do work out. I tend to notice the red 'rash' maybe even circular mark on my cheeks only. They are more prominent after i wash my face or shower in the morning.

[browneyedgirl40]

Joe look at low FODMAP diet...gluten, lactose & fructose free diet. Apples are very high in fructose. You can google it & see if the list of 'foods to avoid' are your triggers. It is much better to stop feeding the bacteria than to kill them off with antibiotics-that just causes another imbalance. I hope that helps. It has literally changed my life.

[kwf340]

I have had the exact same symptoms dimeface4 described – red cheeks that are warm/hot to the touch with normal complexion around the eyes (like I was wearing sunglasses and burned my cheeks).  My symptoms come and go – sometimes I look fairly normal and other times I look sunburned (so much so that people ask if I had been in the sun).  I notice that when I am in a colder environment (e.g., 40 -50 degrees F) the redness always appears.  I asked my doctor about the redness and he said it was nothing to worry about – I’m going to see a dermatologist and see if he has any input.  

J1992 - I found your comments regarding apples interesting.  I have been eating an apple every day since I was in my late teens (I’m now 49).  Within the last two years I have gone to 2 apples a day and an orange a day.  I’m also big on spicy foods.  Since you still seem to have your symptoms, I’m guessing you ruled out fruit as a cause (??)

[J1992]

Hello all, small update regarding the current situation.

Still have found no direct cause and effect for this condition. I have been to the doctors regarding a blood test, and they found no abnormalities.

Recently, the last few months or so, I have developed folliculitis ( I believe) on both legs, mainly the thigh areas. I understand this is a yeast infection related to Staph bacteria. I have another doctors appointment booked, so hopefully I can clear this up, perhaps there is some correlation between an infection I have been carrying for all these years or not.

I work outside all day, doing labor intensive work now and still have found no genuine link to what causes my redness / facial tension and heat. Occasionally I can wake up, do 2 hours of vigorous heavy weight lifting, get a hot shower, and then go to work in the cold and have absolutely no adverse reaction of flushing. Alternatively some days I can wake up bright red, and nothing will make it go away. Sometimes I can work in the heat fine, other times my face will go red and tight.

My only slight link is that I have often found, the less I eat, the less redness. I eat a very high carbohydrate diet, lots of Pastas, Oats and wheat. I have never looked into the Gluten free link, however I will definitely consider it now.

My only other hope is that I possible have some form of bacterial / fungal infection whereby I can take some form of anti-biotic and all will be well, that is the hope anyway.

I might even try taking a few pro-biotic tablets to re balance the good and bad bacteria in my gut to see if that changes the circumstances.

Thanks all,

Jp.

[tintinnation]

Hello, I am 23 years old, and I have had the red cheeks for as long as I can remember. My doctor told me it was a result of my keratosis pilaris, which I have on my arms. I saw him about these issues when I was about 12 years old. Since then I remember browsing a keratosis pilaris support forum a few years ago and seeing that there are three types of keratosis pilaris. The first was the bumpy skin like I have on my arms and the second was the red face with or without bumps. If it is dry, my cheeks flush, if it is cold, my cheeks flush, if it is hot, my cheeks flush. I've noticed that the flushing isn't nearly as noticeable, if at all, when I have a tan. I have also noticed that certain moisturizers help quite a bit. They have skin calming masks and moisturizers and toners available that can be of some assistance. Things with calamine, azulene, alpha hydroxy acids, and salicylic acid are thing that help me. I know some people aren't okay with wearing makeup, but I have had great success with the green concealers, however that is very temporary. My cheeks are prone to being dryer than the rest of my face and the redness will be worse if they are not properly moisturized. Staying properly hydrated will help to a certain degree as will humidifyers. I am in southern Louisiana and I would think that the humidity here would be enough, but I am sadly mistaken. Also coconut oil as a cheek cleanser helps. I wouldn't recommend it for the rest of your face if you have combination skin like I do. Oil pulling with coconut oil seems to help slightly too. Basically you take a big spoonful of oil and swish it around in your mouth and throat for 15-20 minutes and then spit it in the trash (coconut oil hardens when cold so not down the drain). That also helps clean your gums, freshen your breath, help with ulcers, acne, remove impurities from the rest of your body apparently, so it cannot hurt.  I hope some of this helps someone. It ***** being the only person in your life like this.

[macklovitch]

I'm 16 years old and have this exact same problem, never come across someone with such similar circumstances to me. I think that it might just be due to hormonal imbalances and will hopefully just go away with age, as no one else in my family has it. It makes me so self-conscious all the time.

How are you doing now? Is your face finally clear?

[hkathryn]

I have fair skin, too.  All of what you've written sounds completely normal.

[AnnaKristen4584]

Hi, sorry, I do not have a medical degree of any sort however, I think I can help you with this. It is definitely nothing serious, it is just your skin type. It's not like your skin is reacting to the heat, it's just that your skin is very thin, therefore the "blood" flowing beneath shows up more. I hope this helped!

[MamaCharleyLove]

ps- just stumbled upon this link about gluten- does this kids face look familiar??!

http://whattofeedyourkids.blogspot.com/2008/01/allergic-red-cheeks.html

[MamaCharleyLove]

This is not a "worry". It is actually a very miserable feeling! I find it very frustrating when people give responses as that!

So, I just got another cheek flush, as I did the night before. All I had  was bland chicken grilled, basmati rice, steamed kale and salad. I haven't had salad in several weeks and now both nights I did it is back. Could be the dressing (Annies organic tuscany italian- basically italian and balsamic together.) My guess is the onions tho, which I don't think I've had any in a couple weeks.

My flush comes and goes, sometimes everyday, or sometimes weeks go by without one bit of red. My face seems to flush, as does my body, when something overheats me- inside or out. Someone mentioned body overheating, well I have what I call low grade fevers, often with the rash but often without any rash, ,when I "heat up" too much I have concluded. I say I call it low grade fever b/c technically unless your temp is above 100.4, it is not a fever, simply an "elevated temperature". But I run, on days when I don't have a fever- which is getting rarer and rarer the last year (going on several years now)- in the lower 97s. So when my temp is 99 I feel like I am getting sick, flu-like. i generally spike up to 99.2-100.2 by the end of the day if it's a fever day. I actually had this face flush and "fevery feeling" I used to call it, for a couple years before i actually took my temp a year ago, and realized I did in fact suddenly spike up a couple degrees. So that's one aspect of it.
curious, do you all feel fevery and if so do u ever check?

so the second element- the cheeks bright red feeling like I have an awful sunburn, often seems triggered by the same things as the fevers. Here is what I have noticed: I have gotten either or both at the same time- the fevers and the burning red cheeks- from anything that heats me up too much. I mean ANYthing. I have been taking into account what my environment is like, what food drinks I have, etc, before this happens. All of the above have affected me:
~sitting in a hot house after coming in from the cold, especially in front of a fireplace
~also the dry heat in the car will do it.
~arguments or situations that have gotten me worked up inside, emotional stress in general (often the physical heat in my body is how i know I am emotionally stressed beyond my capacity!)
~ heating pads, hot showers and baths, and drying my hair (mostly the temperature thing, tho the hot showers and hairdrying have def caused the red cheek rash
~Alcohol- I used to drink all the time. Now like clockwork, about 10-15 minutes after having even 3-4 sips of any alcohol (which I just don't anymore), I will spike a couple degrees in temp and my cheeks are as red as tomatoes!
~spicy food
~fruit, particularly citrus for me
~sugar
~too much work too quickly- even rushing around the house to clean up before I head off to work can set me off for the whole morning!

I have mostly cut out all dairy (less goat cheese, and very minimal) and ALL gluten. I am about 85% sugar free, and am down to minimal carbs (2 servings a day- rice or gluten free bread or quinoa). My temp spike and rash have gone down to about 1/4 of what they used to be.
I would suggest keeping a health log for a couple weeks, and I would love to hear if others notice these triggers as well!

Oddly enough, I drink herbal tea religiously, and never does hot tea bother me.

I have noticed, as someone else mentioned, that it is thru about december- march as well!

I would tell anyone, that is having this red rash across the nose connecting the cheeks, or if it is coming on from being outside in the heat (doesn't happen to me), to get a blood test (ANA I believe) for Lupus. The sun affecting the cheeks and the bridge of the rash between- called the "butterfly rash" as that is what your face may look like- are some of the most distinctive signs of Lupus.

( I have severe back pain and other bizarre symptoms so they have done every test in the book on me, with no answers but Fibromyalgia and CFS, degenerative thoracic disc- which NONE are supposed to be anywhere near the intense pain my back stays in)

The one thing I am pretty certain I can say is that this red hot rash, along with my "fevers" are all symptoms of allergic reactions I am having to overstimulating my body.

Good luck and blessings to you all :)