Red, Blotchy Skin after Wine

Q. Some red wines cause a red, blotchy skin reaction on my face. Do you know what ingredient in some red wines might cause this, and how I can avoid this in the future?

It does not happen with white wine and not with all red wines. Thanks for your help!

A. The condition is called Acne Rosacea and it's triggered by many different things.

Anything that causes vasodilation (opening) of the capillaries or blood vessels in the face will cause increase redness or blushing reaction.

Triggers include (but not limited to) alcoholic beverages, extremes of temperature, sun exposure, hot temperature foods, hot spicy foods, etc. Because triggers are not the same for everyone it's a matter of trial and error to determine which things flare your skin.

The good news is that there's excellent treatment for acne rosacea. See your dermatologist & they'll put you on a combination of medications to reduce the redness and improve your skin so you can effectively "control" your acne rosacea.