Can Children Get Rosacea?

Can children get rosacea? I just read your article about it and think my 13-year-old might have it. Please let me know if that is possible. She has fair skin and red cheeks almost all the time. Sometimes her cheeks burn and they feel warm to the touch.

Rosacea is very uncommon in children. It is much more common for children to have facial redness due to being born with very fair skin that is easily damaged by the sun. The classical child with concerns about red cheeks has red hair and blue eyes and burns easily when exposed to the sun. It is highly likely that a child with reddish cheeks has experienced some sun damage that has thinned the skin somewhat and made the superficial blood vessels more visible. Sunburns cause the most problems with the later development of such redness.

It is essential that a child with very fair skin always wear a sunscreen that blocks ultraviolet light types A and B and has a SPF rating of 30 or higher. Wearing a hat and sun glasses that shade the face can also help. You can begin using sunscreen from age six months on very fair-skinned children.

The pulsed dye laser can be used to reduce facial redness. This is a cosmetic treatment that would not be covered by medical insurance. More than one treatment may be required to obtain the best results. Before considering such a treatment, It would be advisable to have at least one appointment with a dermatology specialist to be sure that there is no other skin problem going on.