Conditions with symptoms similar to rosacea

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Conditions with symptoms similar to rosacea

Skin conditions with symptoms similar to rosacea include:

• Acne. Pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads are forms of acne. Acne occurs when glands in the skin produce too much oil and dead skin cells are not shed properly. The oil combines with cells that line the walls of these glands, clogging your pores and sometimes resulting in bacterial infection. Acne usually develops on your face, neck, chest, shoulders, or back.
• Contact dermatitis. Many rashes are caused by contact with a substance that causes an allergic reaction (contact dermatitis). The rash usually starts about 48 hours after you have been exposed to the irritating substance. A minor case of contact dermatitis may cause mild redness of the skin or a rash of small, red bumps. A more severe reaction may cause swelling, redness, and larger blisters.
• Lupus. Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) is a long-term (chronic) inflammatory disease that can affect almost any organ. The most common symptoms of lupus include fatigue, fever, skin rashes (a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks is common), and muscle and joint pain.
• Folliculitis. Folliculitis is infection or inflammation of the hair follicles, the small sacs beneath the skin from which hair develops and grows. Folliculitis can develop on any part of the body, although it is most likely to occur on the scalp, face, and areas where clothing rubs against the body, such as the arms, thighs, and buttocks.

Credits

Last updated:	July 24, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC