Q What kind of condition is rosacea (rhinophyma / "strawberry nose")?
A Rosacea is a chronic skin condition in which the central face—nose, cheeks, and forehead—becomes persistently red, with visible broken capillaries and recurring acne-like red bumps or pustules. In severe cases it can progress to rhinophyma, a thickening of the skin on the nose.
Detailed Answer
Rosacea develops when the blood vessels in the central face dilate easily and inflammatory reactions occur repeatedly. At first the face frequently flushes and the redness does not fade; over time, broken capillaries (telangiectasia) and red papules and pustules appear. Overgrowth of Demodex mites, a weakened skin barrier, and UV damage are known to aggravate the inflammation.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, the redness lingering on the face is seen not merely as a skin problem but as a sign that heat which has risen upward from within the body (upward-floating heat) has become stagnant in the face. The focus is on clearing and cooling the heat that has shifted upward (cheong-yeol; su-seung-hwa-gang, the principle of "water rising, fire descending") and draining internal heat-toxin, so as to restore a balance in which the face no longer flushes easily.
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