Rosacea or Acne-Like Chest Redness

Acne vulgaris usually involves the back and the chest as well as the face, while rosacea is usually limited to the face; rosacea has been known to occur on the neck, chest, scalp or ears.

Acne on the chest would be identified as whiteheads or blackheads including pimples containing pus. A rosacea-like breakout would be identified as a general redness or ruddy appearance to the skin with or without some small spider veins also known as Telangiectasias. These are small-dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin; generally measuring a few millimeters in size and possibly including small red raised bumps.

The harder or more aggressively you scrub or cleanse the area, the more inflamed and irritated it can become.

This red rosacea-like effect can occur on the chest due to a number of things:

Perfume- Avoid spraying perfume on the chest - concentrate the spray instead on pulse point areas or spray the perfume on your clothing instead of on the skin. Some perfumes contain photo - sensitizing ingredients that may cause the skin to redden in bright sunlight.

Sun-damage - Prolonged or repeated sun damage may make the skin more vulnerable to redness and irritation.

Bath Soap - Use instead a gentle cleanser. Many times the culprit can be deodorant soaps or liquid cleansers. Deodorant soaps often contain ingredients such as neomycin, zirconium, formaldehyde or antibacterial agents, such as hexa chlorophene, which can irritate the skin.

Clothing - Wool or polyester blend fabrics may cause skin irritation in some people. The dyes used in the manufacture of darker colored clothing are also a possible culprit. Fabric finishes used to soften or stiffen material may also cause redness and irritation. Dry cleaning solutions can also cause skin redness and irritation.

Jewelry - Necklaces containing nickel can result in an allergy related breakout on the neck and chest. Most costume jewelry contains nickel as well as sterling silver which is generally 925 parts silver and 75 parts nickel and to a lesser degree gold which vcontains varying amounts of nickel based on the karat weight of the gold. The higher the karat weight the more pure the gold and thus the less likely to cause a reaction.

Jojoba oil or other pure oil may be used to soothe, moisturize and protect the area. Other treatment solutions include but may not be limited to discontinuing the substance, which is causing the irritation. Some recommend for milder cases is to use a manganese sulfate solution to reduce the itching. Antihistamines are generally not very useful for treatment of rosacea. A common but controversial treatment for a severe breakout may include the use of corticosteroid tablets, ointments or creams, which suppress the immune response and resulting inflammation. Steroids will not cure the problem. Overuse, misuse and/or prolonged use of steroids can worsen the condition or create an even more severe condition.