The “red face”: Not always rosacea

Facial erythema (the “red face”) is a straightforward clinical finding, and it is evident even to the untrained eye; however, a red face does not represent a single cutaneous entity. It may be due to a plethora of distinct underlying conditions of varying severity, including rosacea, demodicosis, dermatomyositis, lupus erythematosus, allergic contact dermatitis, drug-induced erythema, and emotional blushing. In clinical practice, dermatologists do not encounter only one type of facial erythema but rather a number of different shades of red. This review presents the clinical spectrum of facial erythemas and addresses the question of what lies beneath a red face by discussing the key clinical and histopathologic characteristics.