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Posted on behalf of talkhealth community member#

Hi - I have recently been diagnosed with rosacea, I am in my late 30's and female. I'm really worried about getting rhinophyma, I know its rare for women to get it but my rosacea mainly affects my nose and I get a lot of spots in this area so wondered if I might be at risk?

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you are worrying about the possibility of rhinophyma, a chronic swelling of the nose that can be associated with rosacea.

You are absolutely right that rhinophyma is much more common in men than women. There have been a few cases of rhinophyma in women, but it is rare. So the likelihood is that you won't get it, which is great!

It's important to keep your rosacea under control, because uncontrolled inflammation may lead to more permanent changes in the skin.

Optimise your lifestyle - protect from UV, don't smoke, minimise alcohol and eat healthily. Keep skin care gentle. Then see your GP to discuss medical creams - antibiotics, azelaic acid or topical ivermectin or even oral antibiotics if it's more severe.

Hope that helps.

Good luck and best wishes,
Dr Emma

Thank you for your question and Dr Emma has given you a great reply! Rhinophyma is indeed uncommon in women but can be treated with laser and surgical therapy should it develop.

Best wishes,

Anjali