7 Conditions That Can Cause Skin Redness & How To Treat Them

If you’re experiencing any skin problems, you can expect redness to be there. The redness is caused by inflammation, which is essentially blood vessels being temporarily enlarged and sending fluid to an area of irritation. “When you see redness, that means there is more blood filling the blood vessels,” says Neal Schultz, MD, a dermatologist in New York City and creator of DermTV. “The issue is the cause."

Skin redness is so widespread because there are many sources of inflammation — including injury, heat, emotion, spicy food, allergies, exercise, friction, and the immune system. “These conditions are extremely common. We see them frequently — in more than half of my patients,” says Brian Morrison, MD, a dermatologist in Miami. Seeing red in the form of flushing, rashes, bumps, scaliness, or blotchiness? Ahead, experts share the reasons behind your redness and give advice on how to ensure your skin stays calm, cool, collected.