Approximately 13 million people in the United States have rosacea. It usually occurs in adults between the ages of 30 and 60. Women are more often affected by mild to moderate rosacea than men, but the disorder is often more severe when it strikes men. Although rosacea can develop in people of any skin color, it tends to occur most frequently in people with fair skin. Rosacea has a variety of clinical features, or signs and symptoms.
Doctors generally classify rosacea into four types based on symptoms.
The earliest recognizable stage is called prerosacea . Signs and symptoms at this stage include frequent episodes of flushing and redness of the face and neck that come and go. Many things can trigger a flareup, including exposure to the sun, emotional stress, alcohol, spicy foods, exercise, cold wind, hot foods and beverages, and hot baths. What causes a flareup in one person may not cause a problem in another. Another type of rosacea, called vascular rosacea , is commonly seen in women.