Facial erythema, or facial redness, refers to red or purplish spots typically found on certain areas of the face (cheeks, forehead, around the nose). Individuals with fair skin are often prone to redness. While it may not necessarily be painful, erythrosis can be accompanied by swelling, itching, a sensation of heat, or small lesions. Discover the main causes associated with the onset of redness.
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Facial Redness: What could be the causes?
Summary
- Acne
- The consumption of alcoholic beverages
- Certain skin conditions such as rosacea and eczema
- Contact Dermatitis
- Extended exposure to the sun
Published September 19, 2022,
updated on February 21, 2024,
by
Maylis, Chemical Engineer
—
6 min read
Topics:
Acne.
Acne typically manifests on oily skin. It is a result of pore blockage due to an excessive secretion of sebum by the sebaceous glands and the colonisation of certain pathogenic bacteria. An outbreak can give the skin a red appearance, due to the inflammatory nature of acne.
Furthermore, acne and blemishes can lead to post-inflammatory erythema (PIE). These are persistent flat pink-red spots. When the skin undergoes a bacterial infection, the blood circulation in the area of the blemish increases. Thus, these marks are caused by the dilation of the blood capillaries. These red marks are more visible on fair skin.
Unlike acne scars, these marks are temporary and usually disappear spontaneously without leaving scars after several months (between 3 to 24 months). Sometimes, it can take several years. However, the speed of their disappearance depends on your relationship with the sun, which can prolong the healing time, but also on the difference in skin tone between the colour of the skin and the shade of the mark.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Excessive alcohol consumption hasinflammatory effectson the skin and the body in general, both in the short and long term. It is a powerfulvasodilator : its ingestion is accompanied by a rapid dilation of the peripheral vessels. This results in redness appearing on the face, but also in other areas of the body such as the neck or hands. Furthermore, being very high in sugars and calories, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages increases thelevel of glucose in the bloodstream, limiting cellular regeneration. This phenomenon manifests as visible marks on the face (prominent and swollen dark circles, grey complexion, redness...).
Certain skin conditions such as rosacea and eczema.
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition of the face characterised by a significant influx of blood, when the blood capillaries that irrigate the skin excessively dilate at the level of the dermis. These redness are generally observed on hypersensitive skin, due to an altered skin barrier and an over-reactivity of the sensory fibres, whereas they would not necessarily have manifested on normal skin. The redness can appear on localised areas and mainly affect the central part of the face (cheeks, nose, forehead and chin), or spread over the entire face in the most extreme cases. Depending on the condition of the skin, they can be temporary and subside within a few minutes, or persist for hours, days or even weeks. Even though they are more commonly observed in people with fair skin, all skin types can be affected. Today, the physiological causes remain poorly identified. However, several factors can aggravate it, such as a disruption of the immune system or a skin reaction following exposure to the sun.
Note: lRosacea predominantly affects women. This skin condition often begins from the age of 30 and is characterised by widespread redness.
Theeczema is also known asatopic dermatitis. It is a skin rash that can appear suddenly, making the skin extremely dry, itchy, and scaly. It usually appears on the feet and hands, but it is also known to affect the skin on the face.
Contact Dermatitis.
We also refer to it ascontact eczema. These lesions are triggered by the skin coming into contact with an allergen: it is an acquired inflammatory skin disease acquired. Thus, unlike atopic eczema (or atopic dermatitis), contact eczema is not due to an atopic predisposition promoting allergy.
Contact eczema is an allergic reaction that occurs even in theabsence of a genetic atopic predisposition favouring allergy (unlike atopic dermatitis).After contact with the allergen in question, several symptoms may appear: red patches, swelling, small bumps, fluid-filled blisters, skin thickening and flaking.
Several factors can be the cause of such reactions:costume jewellery, clothing, topical medications, perfumes, chemicals, cosmetics, hair products...
Extended exposure to the sun.
Also known as solar erythema, sunburn refers to a first-degree burn of the skin caused by the UVB rays of the sun. This phenomenon usually occurs after prolonged exposure without sun protection. However, some people with sensitive and/or fair skin, therefore lacking in melanin, can experience sunburn after just a few minutes of exposure. Sunburns are characterised by redness, sometimes sharp pain, and itching. In the most severe cases, blisters can even appear.
When exposed, to protect the skin, melanocytes produce melanin (the pigment responsible for the brown colour) which migrates to the surface of the epidermis and colours it: this is known as tanning. If the exposure is too long and/or the UVB rays too intense, the tan gives way to a sunburn.According to a study published about a decade ago, the biological process that occurs during the onset of a sunburn is of an inflammatory type. The sun's UVB rays damage microRNAs which, once released into the extracellular environment, stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. A chain reaction then triggers a sunburn on the skin surface.
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