Understanding diffuse facial redness

Diffuse redness refers to a condition caused by dilated capillaries, most commonly affecting the nose, forehead, and cheeks. These enlarged blood vessels do not present themselves as defined vasculature, but rather as a general facial redness, (for example, the often used description of “rosy cheeks”).

Diffuse facial redness can occur as a result of ageing, prolonged sun exposure, pregnancy, childbirth, oral contraceptives, and estrogen replacement therapy; heredity can also play a part.

Diffuse redness is often associated with another inherited skin disorder, rosacea, which affects an estimated 16 million Americans. 

Diffuse facial redness characteristics

Other than the appearance of a flushed face, other signs and symptoms of this skin condition include:

• Persistent redness with transient bumps and pimples
• Skin thickening, sometimes resulting in the enlargement of the nose
• Eye irritation

Who does it affect?

Most people affected by diffuse facial redness have fair skin, and are aged between 30 and 60. Females are more likely to develop this skin condition, and the associated condition rosacea can be passed on genetically.

It's important to note that diffuse facial redness and rosacea can flare up at any time. Common triggers for flare ups include:

• Stress and emotional distress
• Heat
• Spicy foods
• Certain makeup products
• Exercise

Once you've identified the triggers for your condition, you can adapt your lifestyle to help avoid particularly bad flare ups.

How to treat facial redness

Skin redness can be treated with laser therapies. At Victorian Dermal Group, we use:

• Vbeam Prima laser: This laser delivers bursts of light into highly targeted areas of your skin, breaking down the skin capillaries which cause the appearance of facial redness.
• GentleMax Pro dual laser: This laser uses two frequencies to target facial redness, and the dynamic cooling device spray minimises any potential discomfort you may experience.

Our certified clinicians are passionate about researching the science behind skin care, and as such, we only use medical grade technologies which yield proven results for our clients. Find out more about the types of technologies we use on our technology page.

How to reduce facial redness

There are numerous skin redness preventative measures (especially in the form of lifestyle changes) for rosacea and nondescript facial redness.

These options include: 

• Topical creams 
• Ointments
• Prescription medication
• Reduced sun exposure
• Limited alcohol consumption