Mild Rosacea: What It Is, How to Identify It and How to Treat It

• Mild rosacea is a manifestation of rosacea that can occur in the early stages of the condition or last long-term.
• The symptoms of mild rosacea overlap with more severe cases, but they are much less intense. 
• Triggers for mild rosacea include spicy foods, hot beverages, weather extremes, emotional stress and more.
• Mild rosacea is not curable but its symptoms can be managed through medical care and the right combination of treatments.

Mild rosacea is a common, chronic skin condition that causes redness, inflammation, bumps, swelling, a burning sensation on the face and an array of other skin symptoms. Rosacea exists on a spectrum and may be related to immune system issues. A person with mild rosacea may experience many of the same symptoms as someone with moderate to severe rosacea, but the symptoms are less severe.

Mild rosacea doesn’t have a cure, but it is highly manageable when you begin treatment early. Treating rosacea early will help to prevent damage to the skin and other related complications. Untreated rosacea, however, leads to progressively worse symptoms. 

What Is Mild Rosacea?

When rosacea is diagnosed, it’s rated as either mild, moderate or severe. Mild rosacea can encompass many of the same symptoms as a moderate or severe case, but as a general rule, none of the symptoms are severe. Doctors use a standardized grading system to determine the severity of your rosacea. 

The subtypes of rosacea that are part of the mild category include acne rosacea (papulopustular rosacea), erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR), ocular rosacea and rhinophyma. Each of these subtypes can manifest in a mild form, and symptoms from each subtype can overlap.

Long-term outlook

In the long term, the symptoms of rosacea are manageable with the right combination of treatments. Left untreated, rosacea is a progressive condition. Its symptoms will become worse over time, and could eventually become moderate or severe. 

How do you know you have mild rosacea?

In many people, mild rosacea looks like a red flush beneath the skin. In others, it manifests as pimples and pustules. If you have mild rosacea, your symptoms may come and go or might be barely noticeable. Because of this, mild rosacea can be difficult to diagnose.

To complicate the diagnostic process, mild rosacea is often confused with other conditions that cause persistent redness or facial flushing. Some of these conditions include acne, lupus, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and steroid-induced acne. 

Because rosacea is so easily confused with other conditions, it’s not possible to self-diagnose. If you think you have rosacea, seeing a dermatologist as soon as possible is your best bet for getting it diagnosed and beginning an appropriate treatment regimen.  

Symptoms of mild rosacea

Mild rosacea can involve a number of symptoms that are present in moderate to severe rosacea. The symptoms of mild rosacea aren’t severe and include:

• Dryness
• Facial redness
• Flushing
• Papules
• Pustules
• Warm sensation
• Visible capillaries
• Watery or irritated eyes (in the case of ocular rosacea)

Symptoms of mild rosacea manifest on a much lower scale compared to moderate or severe cases. For example, if you have mild rosacea with pustules, you would have fewer pustules than a patient with severe rosacea.

It’s even possible to have ocular rosacea without any other symptoms, including skin redness. Sometimes, ocular rosacea is the first manifestation to show up. Your doctor will be able to identify rosacea based on your specific combination of symptoms, as symptoms vary from person to person. 

Causes

Rosacea has a number of probable causes that researchers continue to study. Some of these include: 

• Demodex mites. A specific type of dust mite called demodex folliculorum can live in your eyelashes’ hair follicles, leading to symptoms of mild rosacea or a rosacea flare-up.
• Dilated blood vessels. When the small blood vessels of the face are abnormally dilated, blood flow beneath the skin is more noticeable and can cause your face to look red or flushed.
• Environmental factors that can trigger or worsen mild rosacea include cold, dry, windy and hot climates. Temperature and weather extremes can aggravate sensitive skin, leaving it looking red and irritated. 
• Genetics. People who seem predisposed to hereditary, mild rosacea are most often people with fair skin and individuals of Northern European ancestry. 
• Immune system conditions. People whose immune systems tend to have an active (or overactive) inflammatory response are often predisposed to mild rosacea. 

Overall, the exact cause of rosacea isn’t thoroughly understood. It’s not apparent what makes someone predisposed to mild versus severe rosacea, for example. Research shows that women are more likely than men to develop rosacea, in general, but the reasons why haven’t been established.

Common triggers

Like mild rosacea symptoms, rosacea triggers vary from person to person. Triggers for mild rosacea can include: 

• Food and drink triggers, including spicy foods, alcohol, fried foods, and processed foods
• Sun exposure
• Excessive heat, cold, wind or a dry environment
• Emotional stress
• Skin care products like witch hazel, alcohol, fragrances and peppermint
• Heavy exercise
• Hot baths and showers
• Underlying health issues

Rosacea is a reactive condition that flares easily when a patient comes in contact with a trigger. For people with mild rosacea, triggers do not cause a severe flare, though symptoms may temporarily become more apparent. 

Treatments for Mild Rosacea

Treatments for mild rosacea are as individualized as each person’s unique set of symptoms and triggers. Your doctor will recommend a regimen that they think is best for your combination of mild rosacea symptoms. Medications may need to be adjusted or switched until you find what works best to manage the signs. 

Oral antibiotics

Oral antibiotics, including doxycycline and tetracycline, are often prescribed for short periods of time, or long-term at a low dose. Antibacterial treatments have been found to be particularly effective against mild rosacea that’s associated with h.pylori infection.

Creams 

Topical creams and ointments like azelaic acid, metronidazole, brimonidine tartrate or oxymetazoline hydrochloride are used long-term to control symptoms of mild rosacea. Some creams work to reduce redness by helping dilated blood vessels under the skin’s surface to constrict. Others reduce inflammation and swelling associated with the condition. 

Laser treatments

Laser treatments can be effective against mild rosacea because they help reduce the size of dilated blood vessels that cause the skin to have a red appearance. Multiple treatments are required, however, before you’ll see a significant difference. Laser treatments also don’t prevent new blood vessels from forming just beneath the skin’s surface. 

For mild rhinophyma, laser treatments can be a great option for helping to remove excess tissue from the nose and help to reshape it. 

IPL treatments 

Intense pulsed light is a procedure light sends scattered light waves across the skin’s surface that penetrate the outer layer and address deeper layers of skin. The light therapy beams can help reduce the appearance of dilated blood vessels in mild rosacea through heating the water held in the skin and helping the body shed damaged skin cells. 

Natural remedies

Some people with mild rosacea choose to use natural remedies rather than prescription treatment. Common natural and over-the-counter remedies for mild rosacea include: 

• Aloe vera gel, chamomile, green tea, tea tree oil, turmeric or lavender essential oil to calm inflammation
• Coconut oil to fight inflammation and moisturize
• Niacinamide to reduce redness
• Raw honey or oatmeal to gently exfoliate and soften skin

While it’s possible that some natural products may help to reduce redness and inflammation, you should proceed with caution before applying anything to your skin. A mild case of rosacea could be made worse by applying the wrong topical product to your skin.

How to Care for Rosacea Prone Skin

In addition to following your doctor’s instructions for taking or using medication for mild rosacea, you’ll need to pay careful attention to your skin care routine. Avoid trigger foods and products and protect your skin from sun exposure and weather extremes. Sunscreen and moisturizers can help form a barrier between the elements and your sensitive skin. 

Use a gentle cleanser and moisturizer morning and night and avoid astringent and abrasive products. Don’t scrub your face with a washcloth, and stay away from products with strong synthetic fragrances and ingredients. Stick to simple, gentle products with calming ingredients, and make lifestyle changes that help you to reduce flare-ups. 

When to See a Doctor

If you think you may have mild rosacea, it’s important to see a doctor as early as possible. Rosacea is a progressive condition. Left untreated, it will get worse over time. The sooner you address it with a medical professional, the better.

Takeaway

Mild rosacea is a highly manageable condition when identified early and treated promptly. With the right combination of treatments, you have a higher chance of preventing your symptoms from becoming severe.