Hello. Today, I would like to talk about the causes of facial flushing and a red face. Since facial flushing refers to the state of the face being red, it is not a diagnosis in itself. Because the causes of the face turning red are very diverse, the treatment method may vary depending on the cause, even if facial flushing is present. However, a common point to consider is that the skin may be fundamentally sensitive or there may be an underlying inflammatory state. Therefore, it is important to avoid factors that can irritate the facial skin as much as possible and to control various situations where inflammation may recur.

Causes of Facial Flushing

The causes of facial flushing and a red face are diverse:

Seborrheic dermatitis
Rosacea
Allergic skin, contact dermatitis
Drug reaction
Menopausal symptoms
Atopic dermatitis
Psoriasis
Acne, red acne marks

The diseases listed above can be causes of facial flushing. As you can see, because the causes are very diverse, not all facial flushing can be managed through a single treatment.

Seborrheic Dermatitis

This is how seborrheic dermatitis appears when it occurs on the face. Generally, it appears red and oily, but dryness or dead skin cells may also be present. It may be accompanied by a sensation of heat. Since seborrheic scalp dermatitis patterns can also occur on the scalp, including the forehead, it is necessary to carefully examine the affected areas.

Sensitive Skin

This is a pattern where mainly both cheeks turn red. It belongs to a sensitive skin type. There are cases of excessive cleansing, so the face often turns red after washing. It may be accompanied by emotional flushing, where the face becomes redder when nervous or stressed. It is important to strengthen the skin barrier so that it can withstand irritation.

Drug Reaction

This is a pattern that arises from a drug allergy. Inflammation appears in the form of red papules similar to acne, and since it looks similar to acne, it is necessary to carefully check the medication history. In allergic reactions, itching often accompanies the symptoms, which can be a point of distinction from acne.

Atopic Dermatitis

This is the pattern of atopic dermatitis. The skin becomes dry and red, and since atopic symptoms generally accompany not only the face but also the body, it is relatively easy to distinguish from other types of facial flushing. This form of facial flushing should be treated in accordance with atopic dermatitis treatment.

Psoriasis

This is psoriasis appearing on the face. It is characterized by white dead skin cells appearing on a red base, and while itching is generally less severe than in atopy, itching may accompany psoriasis if inflammation is severe. Facial psoriasis often occurs together with scalp psoriasis. It is necessary to simultaneously check if psoriasis lesions appear on the scalp and behind the ears. Especially in the case of psoriasis, which is an autoimmune disease, the prognosis is relatively poor when it affects the face and scalp, so the treatment period often becomes prolonged.

How to get rid of facial flushing?

In facial flushing, you should check for factors that can worsen symptoms and manage your lifestyle well:

Avoid spicy or irritating foods as much as possible.
Since symptoms can worsen in environments with severe temperature changes, wear light layers of clothing to maintain a stable body temperature.
Getting sufficient sleep also helps.
Avoid factors that may irritate the skin.
Applying heavy makeup or washing the face too vigorously to achieve a "squeaky clean" feel can instead irritate the skin.
It is better to keep makeup light and wash the face mildly with a slightly acidic cleanser.

In facial flushing, it is common to exhibit a pattern of "upper heat and lower cold" (sang-yeol-ha-han). When the body heat balance is broken, deficiency heat rises to the upper burner, causing the face and

This refers to cases where a feeling of heat is felt in the head and scalp, while the lower part of the body, such as the hands, feet, lower abdomen, and knees, becomes cold. In cases where upper-heat and lower-cold are severe, focusing on Simsin-sanggyo (interaction between heart and kidney), suppressing deficiency heat, and balancing heat becomes a key point of treatment that must be considered in long-term facial flushing treatment.