It's not easy to respond to the question 'what is rosacea?' because there is a wide range of reported symptoms. Even specialists often have difficulties diagnosing this complex skin disease.

If this is the case, how will you ever know how to tell if you have rosacea? Read on to become familiar with the different classifications and symptoms of rosacea.

Rosacea was commonly confused with acne vulgaris or seborrhoeic dermatitis until recently and was consequently mistreated. Many patients never showed certain key symptoms of the disease and responded differently to recommended rosacea skin products, causing misconceptions about rosacea's development. In 2002, medical researchers were finally able to classify symptoms and divide rosacea into 4 different sub-groups: the Erythematotelangiectatic type, Papulopustular rosacea, Phymatous rosacea and Ocular rosacea.

How can I tell the difference between the 4 kinds of Rosacea?

There are subtle differences between each of the sub-groups listed above. The Erythematotelangiectatic type of rosacea differentiates itself through the fineness of the skin texture, whereas the skin usually has a sebaceous look and feel in the case of other types of rosacea. Papulopustular rosacea usually causes the development of small papules and/or pustules, while Phymatous rosacea leads to skin thickenings and irregular surface nodules that typically surface on the nose, chin, forehead, one or both ears and/or the eyelids.

Be conscious that rosacea occurs much more commonly in light-skinned people of Celtic or other European backgrounds. This is mostly likely due to the fact that Caucasians have a much higher genetic predisposition to developing rosacea. Studies confirm that rosacea develops most frequently in people between the ages of 30 and 50, more often in women than in men.

Rosacea usually starts as an erythema on the middle of the face and the upper part of the cheeks, as well as on the nose or forehead. Eythema is the abnormal redness of the skin resulting from dilation of blood vessels, sometimes caused by sunburns or inflammation, but in the case of facial rosacea it can be provoked by other environmental factors or simply occur by itself. In some case, this rosacea redness extends to the neck, chest, ears and scalp.

The first signs of rosacea are said to be a persisting redness due to exercise, changes in temperature, and cleansing. If you are experiencing facial redness that continues long after what seems to be a reasonable, you may have developed the disease and should seek out a treatment for rosacea in order to reduce redness and avoid advancing symptoms. While scientists still don't know what causes rosacea, they are now able to properly treat it.