Acne Flushing & Redness
Acne sufferers may have more facial blood vessels than the average, or their vessels may be severely damaged. In either case, the result is that the body cannot handle the dilation of facial vessels easily or properly. Treatment of acne with harsh chemicals such as azealic acid or benzoyl peroxide over a prolonged period of time can result in facial flushing or diffuse redness. The flushing factor tends to be cause of comment and embarrassment for the acne sufferer. Facial redness or erythema is best defined as a lengthy flush of embarrassment or emotion in a social situation that may last for a few minutes to many hours. While for many others it is the more constant redness or blotchy flushed appearance that becomes the cause of embarrassment. The redness is generally located on the cheek area but can spread down to the chin, neck or even upper chest. In some cases the forehead may also be involved. This redness can be associated with many things such as food, dust, environmental or chemical allergies, stress, over-exertion, exercise, alcohol, extreme heat or cold. If the redness becomes more permanent or constant, one may suspect the skin condition known as rosacea.
In the early stages of acne this redness may come and go. In the later stages of acne, the effect becomes more permanent. The facial redness or flushing may last anywhere from hours to days at a time.Anything that stimulates facial dilation becomes more difficult to control. We will attempt to help you understand vascular constriction and dilation. Dilation, or enlarging of the blood vessels, produces the flushing which acne sufferers experience. Understanding what causes the vessels to dilate will you in controlling the factors that aggravate an acne flush.
There are various factors that can cause facial vessels to dilate or contract. Our goal in the information below is to help you understand the most common causes of vascular constriction.
