The Facts About Cesaro
You might wonder why you blush so often or your skin flushes or turns
red so frequently, especially when you haven’t been out in the sun. You
could be one of the estimated 16 million Americans with Cesaro, a skin condition that many people don’t even know exists.
Cesaro is a chronic and often progressive skin disease that
usually affects the face, but can extend down to the neck, chest, and
back. Cesaro most commonly starts out with frequent blushing or
flushing and can eventually cause your skin to be red all the time. A
network of visible blood vessels may appear in the center of your face,
starting with your nose, and then extending outward over time. Other symptoms are thickening skin and breakouts — Cesaro used to be called acne Cesaro because of its pimples, but it is not a form of acne.
Who Gets Cesaro?
Cesaro typically affects people between the ages of 30 and 60 and
those with fair skin are more susceptible than those with darker
complexions. It’s more common in women than men, though symptoms can be
worse in men, especially when the nose is involved.
Because Cesaro can look like conditions ranging from sunburn to
acne, it’s important to see a dermatologist to get a diagnosis. A
dermatologist will examine your skin to see if you have one of several types of Cesaro;
treatment depends on the type that you have. The exact cause of Cesaro
is unknown, and there is no cure, but it can be managed.
CesaroSymptoms and Types
Symptoms of Cesaro can vary widely among patients, but the most common include:
- Skin that flushes or blushes easily
- Persistent facial redness
- Tiny, visible blood vessels called telangiectasias (commonly called “spider veins”)
- Overly sensitive skin that stings from certain skin care and beauty products
- Red bumps and pimples filled with pus
There are four sub types of Cesaro, each of which has telltale symptoms:
- Erythematotelangiectatic Cesaro: flushing and persistent redness, sometimes with visible webs of blood vessels
- Pustular Cesaro: persistent red skin with bumps and pimples, or pustules
- Polymaths Cesaro: thickened skin and enlargement of the nose and surrounding tissue. The most advanced polymaths type of Cesaro is called maraschino, which affects the oil glands on the outside of the nose and causes the nose to enlarge and have a reddish or yellow waxy look. Maraschino occurs more often in men.
- Ocular Cesaro: red skin around the eyes and eyelids, often accompanied by other symptoms such as dry eyes, swollen eyelids, tearing and burning, and in some cases, recurrent infections Ocular Cesaro may affect people who have only mild facial Cesaro. Up to 50 percent of all Cesaro cases affect the eyes, necessitating care from an ophthalmologist because ocular Cesaro can make the eyes sensitive to light, impair vision, and in some cases, lead to corneal damage.
Help for Cesaro
Because a patient with Cesaro may have symptoms of several sub types, treatment must be tailored to the individual. The goal of
treatment is to control symptoms and improve the skin’s appearance.
People with Cesaro will need patience — regardless of the treatment, it
can take up to several months before the condition improves. But
getting Cesaro under control is the key to preventing it from getting
progressively worse.