1. Take the Rosacea Quiz!
2. Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures
3. View Pictures of Rosacea

Medical Author:

Gary W. Cole, MD, FAAD

Gary W. Cole, MD, FAAD

Dr. Cole is board certified in dermatology. He obtained his BA degree in bacteriology, his MA degree in microbiology, and his MD at the University of California, Los Angeles. He trained in dermatology at the University of Oregon, where he completed his residency.

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Medical Author:

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Rosacea facts
• What is rosacea? Is rosacea contagious?
• Is rosacea like acne?
• What are causes and risk factors of rosacea?
• What are rosacea symptoms and signs?
• How is rosacea diagnosed?
• What happens to the nose and the eyes?
• How is rosacea cured?
• What about using acne medicine?
• What is the treatment for rosacea?
• What should be avoided? What foods are good for rosacea?
• What natural remedies can help rosacea?
• Does rosacea get worse with age?
• How should I care for the skin of my face?
• How are the telangiectasias (the red lines) treated?
• How is a rhinophyma (the W.C. Fields nose) treated?
• What effect may rosacea have on my life?
• Where can people get more information about rosacea?
• Take the Rosacea Quiz!
• Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures
• View Pictures of Rosacea
• Rosacea FAQs
• Patient Comments: Rosacea - Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Rosacea - Effective Treatments
• Find a local Dermatologist in your town
• Rosacea Index

While not all rosacea people are exactly the same, there are some common rosacea triggers. Avoiding these potential triggers may also help relieve symptoms and disease flares. It may be helpful to keep a personal diary of foods and other triggers that flare rosacea symptoms.

Smoking, spicy foods, hot drinks, and alcohol may cause flushing and should be avoided. Exposure to sunlight and to extreme hot and cold temperatures should be limited as much as possible. Red wine and chocolate are two well known rosacea triggers. Some listed foods may have no effect on your rosacea but severely affect someone else. Individual reaction patterns vary greatly in rosacea. Therefore, a food diary may help to elucidate your special triggers.

Possible rosacea dietary triggers include

• dairy including yogurt, sour cream, cheese (except cottage cheese),
• alcohol including red wine, beer, vodka, gin, bourbon, and champagne,
• chocolate,
• soy sauce,
• yeast extract,
• eggplants, avocados, spinach,
• some beans and pods, including lima, navy or peas,
• citrus fruits, including tomatoes, bananas, red plums, raisins, or figs,
• spicy and temperature hot foods.

Potent cortisone or steroid medications on the face should be avoided because they can promote widening of the tiny blood vessels of the face (telangiectasis). Some patients experience severe rosacea flares after prolonged use of topical steroids.

Vasodilator pills can also flare rosacea. Vasodilators include certain blood pressure medications like nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics.

These potential triggers are found in many skin cleansers and should be avoided in rosacea.

• Alcohol
• Witch hazel
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus oil
• Clove oil
• Fragrance
• Menthol
• Salicylic acid

Foods that decrease rosacea flares include less spicy meals, nonalcoholic cool beverages, caffeine-free drinks, nondairy cheese, and thermally cooler meals.