Many people misinterpret the symptoms of rosacea as sunburn or acne and don't seek treatment. Rosacea appears in the central part of the face, causing redness and pimples. Unlike acne, there are no blackheads, and it doesn't occur on the neck or back. The spots look like red pimples and wax and wane with stress, exposure to heat, cold, and sunlight. Fair-skinned women ages 30 to 50 are most susceptible to rosacea, but men and women of all skin types, especially those with a history of easy blushing, can develop the disease.
Men are more likely to develop knobby bumps on the nose, called rhinophyma.
Rhinophyma requires surgery to remove the affected tissue and resculpt the nose. Treatment doesn't cure rosacea, says Stone, but it can ease the symptoms. Early treatment of rosacea can control the severity of the disease. Untreated, rosacea can lead to a condition where small blood vessels in the skin of the face become enlarged and look like thin red lines. W.C. Fields is probably the most well-known person to have had rosacea.