For some people prone to facial flushes, the broken blood vessels in the cheeks get red and swollen to an embarrassing degree. This condition is known as rosacea, a chronic skin condition that is characterized by flushing across the cheekbones and sometimes around the chin and nose area. Read on to learn more about this skin condition.

Rosacea
Rosacea is basically an inflammatory skin problem that primarily affects the face, and generally around the cheeks, chin, nose, ears, forehead and scalp. Rosacea is more common is women (especially menopausal) than in men. People most prone to rosacea are aged between thirty and sixty, and are fair skinned with a family history of rosacea.

Symptoms of Rosacea
If you suffer from rosacea, you may experience intermittent blushing and facial swelling that lasts for hours or days and start up without warning. During the earlier cases, rosacea often begins as a tendency to flush or blush easily. However, as the condition progresses to an advanced stage, the flushed complexion can be permanent and rhinophyma (a condition of bulbous nose and puffy cheeks) may develop. Other symptoms of rosacea include skin sensitivity, broken capillaries and small, red acne-like bumps or pustules (acne rosacea). Rosacea is, unfortunately, a chronic condition with no known cure. However, the good news is that it can (and should) be treated to prevent the symptoms from worsening.

Flare-Ups
During flare-ups, the ruddiness becomes redder and blood vessels may become visible. The redness is actually caused by the dilation of small blood vessels near the skin surface of the face. If left untreated, spots and bumps can also develop. Nobody really knows what causes rosacea in the first place, but several triggers have been identified that can lead to episodes of flare-ups. Therefore, avoiding these triggers is the best way to keep rosacea under control.