Rosacea is a skin disorder that mostly affects white skinned people and in the United Kingdom it is more commonly known as 'curse of the Celts'. At times rosacea is also mistaken for acne as its small red filled bumps which appear across the face, that is the cheeks and over the nose. It may also affect the forehead and chin. At times it may spread to the neck area also. President Clinton suffered from this disorder. It affects people between the thirty to sixty years age bracket and it is estimated that over 14 million Americans have this disorder and it is more common among women then men. It is not a life threatening skin disorder and its only harm is to the looks of a person as it is a facial skin disorder. Once rosacea has been diagnosed it can be treated, it is initially commonly mistaken for acne or eczema.

Rosacea appears in phases, starting with a tendency to blush easily and a flushed appearance which can be mistaken as someone who is intoxicated. As it develops the redness becomes permanent and the nose tends to get swollen and the skin becomes over sensitive. Dandruff may also start to appear and the skin may become oily. Some people also suffer from gritty and burning eyes as a result of rosacea.

There are several reasons that have been said to cause rosacea although they are all inconclusive. One links it to being hereditary, the other is that it is caused due to blood disorder and another is that there is a bacteria infection in the intestines. One theory also links it to tiny mites living in the hair follicles. However all these theories are inconclusive and alcohol consumption has nothing to do with it as people who don’t consume alcohol also have rosacea. One commonality among all rosacea sufferers is that their skin is sun damaged. There are certain things that can aggravate rosacea like taking spicy food, alcohol, sunlight, embarrassment, exercise and hot baths and saunas.

In case of rosacea one should seek medical advice as it is not going to clear up or go away in fact it is going to worsen. Dermatologists will prescribe an oral medication to control the rosacea. As rosacea does not clear up easily it will take time in some case up to two months for the medication to take effect and the treatment has to continue even after it clears up as it will reappear.

Some medications like creams are applied to the affected areas and other medication taken orally along with it. Never try and rush curing rosacea as it will take its own time to ease, as it is never going to be fully cured. There are certain precautions that one can take to protect one's face from sunlight by using a sun screen which should have a 15 plus Sun Protection Factor. In winters wear a ski mask or scarf across the face. Avoid using any makeup that can cause irritation to the skin. Stop scratching the skin and if one has to use a moisturizer with a topical medicine make sure that the topical medicine has dried before applying the moisturizer. Make sure that any product you use on your skin is noncomedogenic. As these won't clog the skins pores and also avoid overheated places.

These are some of the precautions that one can take if one has rosacea and as there is no permanent cure to it, stick with the prescribed medication and visit the dermatologist regularly. Also try to avoid using anything or place or exercise that will cause the face to blush.