Adult Acne or Rosacea? 3 Telltale Differences 

You spent your teenage years trying to get rid of red bumps and acne, but now they’re showing up again in adulthood. Before you conclude that your acne is back for another round, it might be a good idea to explore whether the red bumps are related to another skin condition altogether.

In adults, acne and rosacea can look awfully similar, and they’re both quite common. About 16 million Americans have rosacea, and 25% to 50% of women continue to get acne in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Men get adult acne, too, but in smaller numbers.

At Los Gatos Dermatology, board-certified skin care expert Dr. Bruce Saal and his team are experts in treating adult acne and rosacea, and we appreciate how similar these two conditions are. That said, there are also differences, and we review three of them here. 

Get to know your comedones

While you may not have heard the term “comedones” before, you likely know what they are. In short, comedones are openings in your skin associated with acne, and they mostly show up as blackheads and whiteheads.

The presence of whiteheads and/or blackheads is a clear indicator that you’re dealing with adult acne and not rosacea.

Degree of redness in your face

With rosacea, you typically blush and flush more easily, which turns the center of your face — your cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead — red. Where rosacea and adult acne get confused is when your rosacea causes small red bumps to also form in the areas we just listed.

These areas are also common locations for acne, but in the case of rosacea, the redness will cover more of your skin, while the redness associated with acne is usually just around the pimple.

So, if there’s a good deal of redness that affects the bumps, as well as surrounding skin, you’re likely dealing with rosacea. If the redness is just in the immediate area of the bumps, it’s probably adult acne.

Look for triggers

When you have rosacea, your skin is very sensitive and responds to certain triggers (by responds, we mean turns red and develops little bumps). Common triggers for rosacea include hot weather, spicy foods, and drinking alcohol.

With adult acne, you might have triggers, but your skin isn’t as sensitive, and the acne can form with or without triggers. 

So we suggest that you pay close attention to the patterns in the red bumps on your face. If they always show up when it’s hot out, you're likely dealing with rosacea. On the other hand, if you wake up one morning with a red bump on your nose or chin, it’s probably acne.

The best way to find out which skin condition you have is to come see us for an evaluation. It’s important that we correctly identify what’s causing your red bumps, as the treatments for rosacea and adult acne are different.

The sooner we can correctly diagnose the issue, the sooner we can clear your skin, so if you’re dealing with red bumps on your skin, we invite you to contact our office in Los Gatos, California, today to set up an appointment.