Facial Redness: What could be the causes?

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...).

• 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.

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...