The Secret to Banishing Facial Redness

If you’re dissatisfied with excessive redness on your face, you’re not alone. Here at Limmer Dermatology, we see patients every day who don’t know why their facial redness isn’t budging despite their best efforts to take care of their skin properly at home.

While there are many potential solutions to facial redness, it can be difficult to pin down which option is the right fit for your skin. There are a range of causes of redness that require different treatment strategies, some of which may contradict others. 

Common causes of redness

The secret to banishing redness is not to immediately look at redness as the problem itself, but as a guidepost to see if any other skin issues may be the root cause. It’s possible to have redness that isn’t caused by another skin issue, which is treatable too.

But our team has encountered many patients complaining of redness who actually have skin conditions that go unnoticed for longer than necessary because their symptoms aren’t yet severe.  

Here are some common skin issues that may be causing your facial redness.

Rosacea 

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition with excessive facial redness and skin sensitivity. It can also cause spider veins, small acne-like bumps called pustules, and even skin thickening in its most severe cases. If redness is your main concern, this is one of the first places to look.

Eczema

Also known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is a persistent rash triggered by stress and inflammation that causes the skin to feel very tight and dry with flaking, itching, and sensitivity.

Follow treatment instructions to a tee, especially if using topical steroids. 

Acne

If you are or were ever a teenager, you’re probably familiar with this one. But not all acne presents the same, so if your redness is primarily the result of acne, you need a professional to take a look to see exactly what kind of acne you have and what treatments will suit you best.

Seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is similar to eczema in that it creates red, flaky, irritated skin, but instead is localized in oily areas of the skin where the malassezia yeast thrives. It’s more commonly known as dandruff. Yes, you can have dandruff on your face, just like on your scalp. 

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder often triggered by stress and inflammation that causes the skin to speed up its growth, leading to thick, red, scaly patches. Treatment options include topical prescriptions, phototherapy, and medications. 

Inflammation

Internal inflammation can exacerbate skin that’s already prone to redness. Diet, lifestyle, and overall health are hugely relevant here, as inflammation is often triggered by an unbalanced standard American diet, allergies, excessive alcohol intake, and stress. 

Irritation

Finally, you may be experiencing redness because you’re applying irritants to your skin unknowingly. While there are common skin irritants that affect a lot of our patients, a good ingredient for your friend's skin might irritate yours, especially if you have sensitive skin. 

Consult a dermatologist

It’s very important to see a dermatologist when dealing with any skin issue, but especially with one like redness, which has so many variables. We caution against trying your own skin care treatment, despite how much information is available online.

For example, rosacea is commonly mistaken for acne due to the red bumps that can appear. But the at-home treatments you may choose for your suspected acne could worsen your skin condition if you actually have rosacea instead. 

Depending on what’s causing your particular case of facial redness, we may prescribe internal or topical medication or recommend certain over-the-counter products or in-office procedures such as facials, laser treatment, or IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy.

Whatever your skin goals are, you shouldn’t venture on your journey alone. The most effective, safe, and efficient approach is to consult a board-certified dermatologist like Byron Limmer, MD, FAAD, and Rachel Limmer, MD, FAAD. 

If you’re near the San Antonio, Texas, area, contact us to see how we can help you feel confident in your skin this summer.