Red flushed face - is it hormones? Something else?

[Montuaklighthouse]

The past 12 or so months I have developed random bouts of this. Both cheeks go bright red, they feel hot to the touch and sometimes have tiny raised bumps (not especially itchy). I don’t feel ‘hot all over’, which is what I would expect from a hot flush - but perhaps I am wrong there?

When it happens, it usually lasts a few days, but a couple of times it has lasts a couple of weeks. The first time it happened it was awful and kept coming back for a month and did feel like my skin was slightly burnt.

I’m mid 40’s so prime peri-menopause age, however, I’m already on quite a high dose of oestrogen HRT and have been since 2018 (hysterectomy to remove womb/cervix only) and still have my tubes and ovaries, so I’m not sure if it’s hormones or not.

It’s like my cheeks have these big red slightly misshapen triangles on them🥵

Anyone else had anything like this? Got any idea?

Bump🙏🏻

Rosacea?

Roseacea?
I had weird skin in the menopause, and was diagnosed with pustular Roseacea and PMLE.

Blood pressure maybe?

Possibly rosacea. Soolantra is a game changer but you will need it diagnosed and prescribed by GP

Rosacea. I got type 1 ( red face) gets worse with age and now type 4 (eyes). Painful, hit mid 40s. What helped is hyaluronic acid. Soolantra didn't help. Nothing is quick. I've been given ABs but am reluctant to sacrifice my gut biome. Also bare minerals face powder conceals it and is tolerated.

Sounds like roseca. Soolantra helped mine a lot. I got it online.

I've been diagnosed with rosacea at 31. So entirely possible!

Rosacea caused by demodex mites is solved with soolantra
General redness rosacea is helped by azelaic acid. (Watch Dr Sam Bunting on youtube)

Sounds like you have the first one if you have have bumps.

Oh wow thanks for the feedback everyone, I hadn’t even considered it was a skin condition - had assumed it was hormones or something else.

The bumps are ‘only’ on the top tips of my cheeks and they are very tiny, you can’t see them, but I can sort of feel a rougher skin surface if that makes sense? Mostly my whole cheeks are just red and feel hot to touch, like sunburn.

Does rosacea just randomly flare up with no apparent trigger?

Also look at lupus. That can present with a flushed face in a butterfly pattern.

I find my rosacea can flare up at the very slightest trigger eg a hot drink or getting a bit het up about something.

Mine only started at all recently to be honest! Feel free to PM me if you wanna chat x

@ChinBristles

That’s interesting as i had a really stressful day yesterday. First one in a couple of months and then a few hours later a small red patch appeared at the top of my cheek and felt very hot and then today it’s progressed to both cheeks being flushed, with now two raised patches on either side top cheeks (one is worse).

@IdisagreeMrHochhauser
i actually tried to get a GP appt in March around the last time it really flared, but by the time I went in it had calmed down. So the dr did mention lupus (I’ve had fatigue and muscle pain), so they did an ANA blood test which was ‘normal’ - I’ve since read lupus is hard to diagnose as bloods can go up and down 🙄

I would photograph it when it happens so you have something to show the GP.

I've recently been investigated for an autoimmune disease. They think it isn't but I'm getting weakly positive blood tests which they're dismissing as 'normal'. Which it very well might be but I know something is off. Good luck.

@IdisagreeMrHochhauser
that is a good idea to take photos!

thanks for all your help :)

Are you on any other medication? Steroids can cause flushing like that.

In the mean time, if its making you self conscious, try a green colour corrector under foundation to cancel out the red. Rosalique is meant to be really good for this too.

I took photos and showed my dermatologist which I was referred to by my gp
i was offered long course antibiotics (as it’s rosacea) which I couldn’t have because I’m allergic to the one they prescribe
You can try azaleac acid (I probably spelled it wrong) and if that doesn’t work, ivermectin topical cream which is what worked for me :)

My triggers are heat or lack of sleep!