What is?

It's a rash that appears around your mouth. Sometimes it spreads to around your nose or eyes too.

It looks like small red bumps — a lot like acne, but it isn't acne.

What does it feel like?

• Redness and bumps around the mouth
• Skin that's dry, flaky, or scaly
• Sometimes itchy or burning
• Can come and go, or just hang around for weeks

What causes it?

The most common culprit is steroid cream used on the face. Think of your skin like a sponge — steroid cream soaks in and disrupts how the skin normally balances itself.

Other common causes:

• Heavy moisturisers, night creams, or foundation used daily
• Inhaler medications (the steroid kind)
• Hormonal changes
• Stress

Who gets it?

Mostly women between 25 and 45. But men and children can get it too.

How do you get rid of it?

The first step is actually stopping things — not adding more.

• Stop using steroid creams on your face
• Strip your routine right back — no heavy creams, no fragrance
• Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic cream or tablets for stubborn cases

Will it come back?

It can. There's no permanent cure, but it can be managed and kept calm long-term with the right routine.

The one thing to know

Most people try to fix it by adding more products. That usually makes it worse. Less is more with this one.

Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that usually affects the face.

It often comes and goes. Some days your skin may look quite calm, and other times it can flare up and become red, irritated, or break out. If it isn’t managed, it can gradually become worse over time.

People with rosacea can experience different symptoms, including:

• Persistent redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead
• Visible small blood vessels
• Red bumps or spots that can look like acne
• Thickened skin, especially around the nose
• Dry, irritated, or watery eyes

Because rosacea can show up in different ways, treatment isn’t the same for everyone.

What helps?

The basics are often the most important:

• Use gentle skincare
• Wear sunscreen every day
• Avoid things that trigger flare-ups (for some people this might be sun, heat, spicy food, alcohol, stress, or certain skincare products)

Medical treatments

Doctors may prescribe:

• Creams or gels that calm inflammation and redness
• Medications such as doxycycline, which can reduce inflammation
• In more severe cases, stronger medications may be used

Light and laser treatments

Certain laser and light treatments can help reduce:

• Redness
• Visible blood vessels

These treatments do not cure rosacea, but they can improve how the skin looks and feels.

The simple takeaway

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes redness, sensitivity, and sometimes acne-like bumps. There is no cure, but with the right combination of skincare, trigger management, medication, and sometimes laser treatments, most people can keep it well controlled.