Can I Pass Rosacea on to My Children?

If you have rosacea, you definitely want to spare your children the discomfort and embarrassment. Is the condition hereditary? We explain here. 

Our board-certified dermatologists with Seacoast Dermatology often treat patients with rosacea. While the condition isn’t curable, it’s treatable, and we can minimize symptoms that cause embarrassment. 

What is rosacea and what causes it? 

Rosacea is an inflammatory condition that causes a range of unwelcome symptoms on your skin:

• Flushing or persistent redness of the skin
• A stinging or burning sensation
• Red bumps or pimples
• Enlarged blood vessels

The symptoms often appear only on the nose, cheeks, or chin but can also show on the neck, chest, and scalp. 

Scientists aren’t sure what causes rosacea. That’s one reason we don't yet have a cure. They believe it’s linked to areas of your genome that play a role in the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as developing from possible irregularities in your neurovascular system. 

Some cases of rosacea may be an immune system overreaction to bacteria on your skin or changes in your environment such as exposure to sunlight, heat, or cold.  

Risk factors for rosacea include a potential for heritability

Studies on twins show that genes likely play a role in almost half of cases of rosacea, with environmental factors accounting for the remainder. If a close family member has rosacea, you have an elevated risk for the condition. 

If you’re pregnant or worried about your young children developing unsightly symptoms on their faces, you can relax. Rosacea in children is rare. If your child gets rosacea, they likely won’t see symptoms until sometime in adulthood. 

Following are common risk factors for rosacea: 

• Being over age 30 
• Being menopausal
• Having fair skin with light hair and eye color 
• Having a blood relative who has had rosacea 
• Having a relative who had acne
• Having had numerous acne breakouts, including acne cysts and/or nodules

Women are more likely to develop rosacea than men, possibly because of dramatic changes in hormones during their lifetime, including pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and menopause. Women are often bothered by a red, flushed chin and cheeks. 

Men are more likely to develop bumps or lumps on and around the nose because of the buildup of lymphatic fluid from the inflammation. 

Treatments for rosacea 

We have a variety of treatments for your rosacea symptoms geared to your specific type of rosacea. We may prescribe oral and/or topical medication to treat bumps or pimples and redness. 

If you have enlarged blood vessels on and around your nose, we may recommend laser treatment to eliminate these large red lines on your face. 

If you have developed severe rhinophyma, or disfigurement of your nose, we may recommend surgery to correct it. 

If you experience flare-ups with rosacea, we recommend that you keep a diary that notes when they occur and factors that may have triggered the flare-up. 

Were you at the beach and exposed to the sun for hours? Did you engage in a lot of social drinking over the weekend at a wedding? We provide you with information about rosacea triggers so you can reduce the number and severity of rosacea flare-ups. 

Call one of our convenient offices in Portsmouth, Exeter, or Dover, New Hampshire, for an appointment or book online if you suspect you have rosacea. We have answers for you.