Red skin is something I have been dealing with for the majority of my life. I have always thought that it is only an accompaniment to my acne. But I got rid of my acne, and my redness is still here. So I went down a rabbit hole to see the possible cause of my red skin and how to treat it.
About red skin
I don’t think I have to describe skin redness, but I will quickly note it. Red skin can be a reaction to an irritant or a current situation you’re in, but it can also be a sign of an underlying health condition.
If the redness is just a reaction to something, it’s usually easy to treat it. But if the redness is persistent and is a symptom of an illness, it might take longer to treat.
Either way, red skin should be treated according to the cause and condition. That is why it is crucial to examine the cause of your red skin and correctly diagnose it.
Causes of skin redness
I will list several possible causes of skin redness, but I urge you to visit your dermatologist to get a correct diagnosis and a treatment plan.
Rosacea
Rosacea is the most common cause of facial redness. It is a skin condition that is not curable, but it is possible to manage it.
There are four subtypes of rosacea, and they all have different symptoms.
- subtype 1 – erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; usually appearing as facial redness, flushing, and visible capillaries
- subtype 2 – papulopustular (or acne) rosacea; is associated with acne-like breakouts and is most common in middle-aged women
- subtype 3 – rhinophyma; a rare form that usually affects men and can cause thickening of the skin on the nose
- subtype 4 – ocular rosacea
Symptoms
The most common symptom of rosacea is facial redness, but depending on the type of rosacea, there might be other symptoms.
- subtype 1 – redness, visibly broken blood vessels, flushing, tingling and stinging, warm sensation in the skin, dry, scaly skin
- subtype 2 – acne-like blemishes, redness, broken blood vessels, sensitive skin, oily skin, raised patches of skin
- subtype 3 – thickened skin on the nose, bumpy skin, redness, large pore, broken blood vessels
- subtype 4 – visibly broken blood vessels in the eyes, bumps on the eyelids, eyes sensitive to the light, dry, irritated, watery eyes, a feeling of dirt/dust in the eyes, swelling of the skin around the eyes
Treatment
Treating rosacea can be done in two ways – oral and topical treatment.
Your dermatologist will decide which treatment option suits you and your condition best, so it’s important to get a correct diagnosis.
Topical treatments can include antibiotic creams, azelaic acid, retinoids or brimonidine.
Oral treatments can be antibiotics or isotretinoin.
I wrote more about rosacea here.
Seborrheic dermatitis
This is a common skin condition that affects areas of the body with most sebaceous glands, such as your scalp, nose and upper back. It appears in newborns (cradle cap) and adults, usually aged between 30 and 60 (dandruff). It can sometimes go away on its own or might require medical treatment.
Symptoms
In adults (dandruff):
- red skin
- itching
- flakes of dead skin cells on the scalp, eyebrows, hair, moustache or beard (dandruff)
- patches of oily skin covered with white or yellow scales on the scalp, face, sides of the nose, chest, armpits or groin area
- redness with scales on the edges of the eyelids (blepharitis)
- rash in the armpit area, under the breasts, groin area and genital creases
In infants (cradle cap):
- yellow or brown scales on the scalp
Treatment
This condition sometimes clears up by itself. But more often, it clears and flares up periodically and having a proper treatment plan is the best option to manage it.
In infants, it usually clears itself up before they’re one. But, it can be helped by shampooing daily with mild shampoo and brushing the scalp with a soft brush a few times a day.
For adults, shampooing regularly with shampoos containing zinc pyrithione, tar, salicylic acid, or selenium can help. Also, wash the skin regularly and rinse it entirely. If the condition is unbearable (itchiness) or you feel like you can’t lead a normal life, you should visit your dermatologist. They will give you a prescription. Usually, they prescribe shampoo and cream or ointment to help with the symptoms.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is an allergic reaction due to direct contact with a substance and manifests in an itchy rash. Anyone can get contact dermatitis, but if you treat it, it can go away fairly quickly.
Symptoms
The symptoms can develop straight away or within a few days of contact.
- itchy rash
- dry, scaly patches
- bumps and blisters
- red skin
- swelling, burning or tenderness
- dry and cracked skin
Treatment
Firstly, you have to avoid the substance that caused the allergic reaction. By avoiding the substance, symptoms might clear in two to four weeks. If you are not sure what caused it or for some reason can’t avoid it, you can try putting a gentle moisturiser on the skin to help with dry skin. Also, you can soothe the skin by applying a cool, wet cloth to the affected area, or you can take a cool bath with some oatmeal if the affected area is large.
If the symptoms are severe, see your doctor. They might prescribe a steroid cream or give you medication to help with swelling.
Atopic dermatitis / eczema
Atopic dermatitis (atopic eczema) is the most common type of eczema. It’s a condition that makes the skin red and itchy. It usually first appears in children under five, but it can also appear in adulthood. It is not a curable condition, but it can get managed and cleared completely. Atopic eczema usually occurs in people with allergies and can run in families. It can be accompanied by hay fever or asthma.
Symptoms
People suffering from atopic eczema have periods when symptoms are severe in a flare-up, or they can have almost none of the symptoms in a calm period. The most common symptoms are:
- patches of red, itchy, dry skin
- cracks on the skin
- sore skin
- sensitive and swollen skin
Treatment
As I said, there is no cure for atopic dermatitis, but it can be managed. You can use emollient creams to moisturise dry skin or topical corticosteroids to reduce swelling and itchiness during flare-ups. Also, it’s crucial to lessen scratching and avoid triggers if possible. Triggers can be usual allergens such as pollen, dust, some detergents and soaps. Change your regular soaps to gentler ones, and pat yourself dry instead of rubbing your skin with a towel.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition where the body produces new skin cells at an accelerated rate which results in a build-up of skin cells. A regular time for cell turnover is usually three to four weeks but in people with psoriasis is about three to seven days. That build-up of skin cells makes scaly patches on the skin, usually on elbows, knees, scalp and lower back.
Symptoms
Similarly to atopic eczema, psoriasis also has periods where the flare-ups are much worse or where there are almost no scaly patches. Flare-up usually happens due to a trigger which might be an injury to the skin, throat infections, weather (especially cold), smoking, alcohol consumption or certain medications.
- patches of skin that are covered in dry scales
- red skin
- white or silvery patches
- itchiness or soreness
- rashes
Treatment
This is a condition that has to be managed by a doctor. The doctor might prescribe a topical treatment such as a cream or an ointment, oral medication or injected medication or even phototherapy, where your body is exposed to different UV lights. The type of treatment will depend on the severity of psoriasis you have.
Sunburn
Sunburn is inflamed, red skin due to too much exposure of the skin to the sun. It not only causes premature ageing of the skin but can also increase the chances of skin cancer (melanoma). That is why it’s essential to protect the skin year-round with sunscreen and by wearing long clothes, hats and sunglasses.
Symptoms
Symptoms usually appear within a few hours of sun exposure and, depending on severity, can take a few days to a few weeks to heal.
They include:
- red skin
- skin hot to touch
- blisters on the skin filled with fluid
- headache
- peeling of the skin
- pain and itchiness
Treatment
Prevention is the best treatment, as once the damage is done, your skin remembers it forever. But if sunburn does happen, you have to cool the skin. You can do it with a cool compress or by taking a cool bath or shower. While the skin is damp, you should hydrate the skin with light hydrating products such as aloe vera gel or after-sun products. If the sunburn is painful, you can take a painkiller and make sure you drink plenty of fluids.
If blisters appear, don’t touch them and don’t poke them. That is your skin’s way of healing itself.
Reaction to medication
Some medications can make your skin photosensitive, and exposure to the sun can have an unwanted reaction. That reaction usually looks like sunburn, so it’s key to understand the possible side effects of the medication you are taking.
Symptoms
This reaction sometimes happens when people are using corticosteroid cream for too long.
The reaction manifests as:
- red skin
- acne-like breakouts
- itchy skin
Treatment
To be able to treat this reaction, you have to understand what caused it. So look at the products you are applying to your skin and taking internally and see if any of them list skin redness as a possible side effect. Once you find the culprit, discontinue use unless it is a prescription product. If the product causing redness is prescribed by your doctor, check if you can stop using it or find an alternative.
Shingles
Shingles (also known as herpes zoster) is a viral infection affecting nerves that causes a painful rash. It usually manifests as a stripe of red blisters going around the side of the torso, but it can also affect the face. Shingles are caused by the chickenpox virus. Anyone who had chickenpox in the past can develop shingles later in life. If your immune system lowers due to stress, illness or some other condition, you have a chance of developing shingles.
Shingles are not spreadable. It is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus in your body. But, if someone never had chickenpox, they can get it from someone who has shingles.
Symptoms
These symptoms usually affect only a small portion of one side of the body. In some people, symptoms can appear around one eye or one side of the face or neck area. Pain is usually the first symptom, and a red rash follows a few days after.
The symptoms are:
- red rash
- pain or burning
- itching
- fluid-filled blisters
- headache
- fever
Treatment
If you suspect you have shingles, you need to visit your doctor. There is no cure for shingles, but your doctor can prescribe you antiviral medication and painkillers if necessary.
While waiting for a doctor’s appointment, you can take paracetamol to ease the pain. Also, it would be a good idea to wear loose-fitting clothes and keep the rash clean and dry. You can also use a cool compress to help with the pain and burning.
Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune condition where your body’s immune system attacks your own body. It can affect your joints, kidneys, skin, brain, heart, lungs and blood cells.
Symptoms
Every case of lupus is different. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, from tiredness and joint and skin problems to severe heart, lungs, brain or kidney problems. Also, symptoms of lupus can flare up or calm down periodically.
Symptoms of lupus can be very different, but the most common ones are:
- fatigue
- fever
- butterfly rash on the face
- red skin
- shortness of breath
- headaches
- body aches and joint pain
- confusion
Treatment
There is no cure for lupus, but there are medications that can help manage the symptoms. It is essential to see a doctor if you suspect you have lupus. Because if you don’t treat it, it can result in very severe problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys or brain. Also, once diagnosed, it’s crucial to regularly visit the doctor as the symptoms can change or flare up, and it needs to be addressed and the medication adjusted.
Another thing to note is that there are lifestyle changes that can help manage lupus. These include avoiding sun exposure and always wearing SPF 50, eating a healthy diet, regularly exercising, stopping smoking and taking supplements such as vitamin D and calcium.
Diagnosing red skin
As you can see, there can be many possible reasons why your skin is red. It is paramount not to ignore that skin redness or try to cover it up but to investigate why it is happening.
In most cases, it might be only some kind of a reaction to a product or because you stayed in the sun for too long, but it can also be a sign of an underlying illness.
If the redness doesn’t go away after two weeks, it’s time to visit a doctor.
Also, if you have accompanying symptoms such as shortness of breath, extreme pain, loss of consciousness or redness around your eyes affecting your vision, you need to go to a doctor straight away.
Waiting with those symptoms can be detrimental to your health.
The doctor might ask you a few questions to get a better picture of your condition. Those questions might be about when did you notice the first symptom, if you changed anything about your diet or started a new medication, or if have you tried any new products recently (skincare or household).
Treating red skin
Treatment of skin redness will depend on the cause. If your redness is a reaction to new skincare products, there are steps you can take to calm it down. They include:
- washing your face with a mild cleanser
- removing irritating products from your routine
- applying simple, fragrance-free, and alcohol-free cream or lotion to calm the skin
- applying sunscreen and avoiding sun exposure
- taking OTC antihistamines to help with the rash
If your symptoms are more severe and you have other symptoms alongside red skin, your doctor will prescribe you the medication that can be oral or topical.
Conclusion
Skin redness can be a mild symptom of a temporary condition or a severe symptom of a more serious illness. It is vital to keep track of any other symptoms that might appear alongside red skin and to note any new medication, products or changes in lifestyle that might’ve caused these symptoms.
If the symptoms last for more than two weeks or there are more severe symptoms such as trouble breathing or loss of consciousness, you have to visit a doctor straight away.
Otherwise, in case of mild skin redness as a result of trying a new product or mild sunburn, there are steps you can take to provide relief to your skin.
All in all, take care of your skin, and if you feel like something is wrong, listen to your gut and get it checked out.
Note: I am not a medical professional, and this post is a result of the research I have done to see what might be the cause of my red skin. This post is not here to self-diagnose. Please visit your doctor if you suspect you might have one of these conditions.
